


Saving Sans

by Lingeringchaos, ZionKilse



Series: Nothing Left To Save [3]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Abuse, Alternate Universe - Swapfell, Alternate Universe - Underswap, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Attempt at Humor, Body Horror, Domestic Violence, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Everyone Needs A Hug, Fluff, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Gaster is -INFORMATION REDACTED-, Horror, Implied/Referenced Torture, Mental Anguish, Mental Breakdown, Mental Instability, Minor Character Death, Misunderstandings, Past Drug Addiction, Physical Abuse, Psychological Torture, Sarcasm, Science Experiments, Self-Harm, Slim Blames Himself, Slim did a bad thing, Strong Language, Suffering, Swapfell Papyrus - Freeform, Swapfell Papyrus needs therapy, Swapfell Sans, Swapfell Sans is a prick, Torture, Underswap Muffet, Underswap Papyrus, Underswap Papyrus needs hugs, Underswap Sans, Underswap Sans is a precious blueberry dumpling, Violence, everyone has a bad time, time loops
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-01
Updated: 2018-09-10
Packaged: 2019-01-27 19:25:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 17
Words: 85,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12588896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lingeringchaos/pseuds/Lingeringchaos, https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZionKilse/pseuds/ZionKilse
Summary: Something unexpected has happened. The skeleton brothers from Swapfell arrive in the Underswap universe and Sans (Blue) makes it his mission to save Razz (Swapfell Sans) from his wicked (and abusive) ways or die trying! Probably the latter. Maybe he should settle for just getting him to treat Slim better? No! He will not give up! Everyone can be a good person if they just try, right?





	1. Stretch meets a strange skeleton

**Author's Note:**

> This is a side to my other fanfic, Saving Papyrus. They take place in the same multiverse and follow the same ‘canon’ but have two very different journeys. The two stories take place at roughly the same time, more or less. They will ultimately collide into a third seperate story, but I’m writing it in a way you technically don’t have to read both Saving Sans/ Saving Papyrus to read the third installment to understand whats going on, you can read one or the other, or both! 
> 
> My crappy fanfic where I explore some of the ways in which the world breaks you down and how people pick up their pieces- or let themselves fall apart. Pain and suffering, love and healing, complicated relationships, abuse, (A lot of abuse, I’m looking at you two Swapfells), angst, it gets kinda dark, depression, good and evil, fluff and violence. 
> 
> Even the best kind person can fall. Can go dark. Can they get back up? When you break and shatter, can you ever get the pieces back together?
> 
> Underswap Papyrus= Stretch  
> Underswap Sans = Blue  
> Swapfell Sans= Razz  
> Swapfell Papyrus= Slim

***

stretch

He was so ~~~~bored. The man behind the door wasn’t there today, as he hadn’t been for at least a week. It was colder in snowdin than it had been since before the resets started. The kid was late, which was fine by Stretch. Maybe it decided it wanted a domestic life with the king and was staying behind the door? Okay so Stretch wasn’t one hundred percent certain the man behind the door _was_ the king, but, everyone knew the King had fled and gone back to the ruins. Who else could it be?

With a sigh Stretch began walking back to his post. It’s not even like skeletons could really feel temperatures unless they were extreme but the slight shift in the weather gave his bones pins and needles. It wasn’t _that_ cold. Stretch sighed pulling a pack of cigarettes out taking one out and lighting it with orange magic. He leaned against a tree and took a good, long drag and then it hit him. Time had never progressed this far. The kid never let it get this far. The kid was _two months_ late. Stretch didn’t trust it, he couldn’t. The kid would come. The kid would reset. They always did.

When Stretch finished his smoke he crushed the butt under his sneaker and walked back to his post. No human. Nothing out of place. So why did he feel so uneasy? Maybe he could go off to Muffet’s? Sans might not notice, right?

Just as Stretch’s lids began to grow heavy he heard a sharp scream come from the forest. Stretch nearly jumped out of his skin. _Heh._ Couldn’t be the kid. Kid avoided the forest most of the time. Stretch stood up placing his hands in his orange hoodie pockets curiously walking into the forest looking for a sign of the noise. The forest was usually very quiet this time of day. Stretch froze seeing drops of red in the pristine snow.

Dammit.

Had the kid changed his route and went into the forest? How had Stretch missed him? Stretch summoned his magic walking quietly, following the trail of what appeared to be blood. As the trail continued the drops of blood increased and looked splattered. There were now drops of . . . some other kind of substance. It looked like thick, globs of oil. Following the liquids he turned into a small clearing.

“DONT. MOVE.”

Stretch froze. In the clearing ahead, Sans was panting hard leaning against a big rock. He was soaked in blood-no, marrow and the snow around him was ruby red because of it. The black thick oil globs were dripping off the surrounding trees and were littered across the clearing as if some kind of monstrous black jello had exploded. Sans’s eyes shined lighter than usual but the the blue was less intense as if layered with a film of frost. He also had two long thin gashes over his left socket.

“Sans!” Stretch ran forward only to come to a screeching halt as a wave of ice blue bones launched at him. Stretch had to teleport to dodge.

 _That could have killed me._ Stretch swallowed hard staring at Sans in disbelief.

“I said stay back!” Sans hissed his voice sharp and clipped. Stretch looked Sans over, his soul pounding. Sans’s armor was different. _That’s not his battlebody,_ Stretch realized with a sharp breath. _That is real amor_. The small skeleton before him bore a black breastplate made from steel. The blue bandana was the same, tied around the small skeleton’s neck, but the shoulder pads were sharp and pointed. There was nothing covering the skeleton’s middle showing off Sans’s thin spine, and Stretch’s stomach churned seeing the vertebre’s were misaligned and cracked. Marrow streamed out of the cracks  heavily.

Stretch took a hesitant step forward and Sans’s eyes flashed dangerously. The skeleton had tight black shorts with a belt with a golden skull on it and long red boots with sharp heels. The gashes above the skeletons eye, Stretch realized, were scars, not fresh gouges. The outfit. The eyes. The scars. The demeanor. This was **not** Sans.

Sans would never wear something like this. Sans would never attack him. Sans didn’t have scars. “Who are you?” Stretch asked voice neutral. The small skeleton snarled baring his teeth in reply and gasped into a wet whooping cough dust and blood spilling from his mouth. Stretch’s soul cringed seeing someone who looked so much like Sans hurt like this.

“...Listen. You’re really hurt. You need help,” Stretch said after a moment of silence.

“Go away.” The skeleton snarled his red gloves gripping handfuls of snow as he coughed again. The skeleton wiped blood and dust off his mouth and his eyes began to unfocus.

“Shit man. You’re going to dust at this rate. Let me help,” Stretch said taking a cautious step forward.

“Don’t you _dare_ come near me! Stay the hell away from me or I”ll-I’ll…” The skeleton’s eyelights flickered out and he collapsed against the rock. Stretch ran forward kneeling next to the skeleton.

“Hey! You have to stay awake!” Stretch said giving the skeleton a hard shake. The unconscious skeleton gave no sign of waking up. Stretch swore under his breath. Stretch picked up the small skeleton.

_He’s so light._

Stretch teleported quickly to Sans’s and his home. He laid the small skeleton gently on his own bed.

“Okay,” Stretch said more to himself than the small skeleton before him. “Lets- lets see the damage,” Stretch said and he worked carefully to remove the smaller skeleton’s chestplate. Stretch nearly dropped it. The skeleton’s ribs were completely smashed in. The bones stayed together only by weak pieces and blue magic. Sharp jagged edges of the pushed in ribs were centimeters away from the frost blue soul.

Stretch tried to look away but he had never seen a soul like that. It was a lighter blue than Sans’s, with a drop of bright red in the center. Stretch had never seen the ice blue color on someone before. It was still glowing bright, which was good, it meant the monster before him wasn’t falling down. The inverted heart shape had a white outline around it. He had never seen anything like that on a soul. As if a layer of ice were protecting it.

Hesitantly, Stretch checked the skeleton.

 

***THE MALICIOUS SANS**

**LV 11, 200 ATK, 250 DEF, HP 23/600**

**_* Is seriously hurt._ **

**_*You know you have to help him._ **

 

Stretch recoiled at the name and LOVE. There was no way this was Sans. They just happened to be a skeleton with the same name. . . and-and the same face, and height, and identical looking bandanas. Stretch groaned into his palm. What was going on? How does a monster even get that kind of LOVE?

“Okay. . . I guess that doesn’t matter right now. I have got to figure out how to heal you,” Stretch sighed. He didn’t know any healers personally, and Undyne was busy making her royal report to the queen, which would take hours. She would drag out the powerpoints, charts, graphs, and examples as the Queen politely would listen to something that should take less than half as long as Undyne took explaining it. Stretch sighed. Stretch didn’t have any healing magic at all. He was out of options.

“I guess we’re doing this the old fashioned way,” Stretch said to the unconscious skeleton before leaving to get the first aid from Sans’s bedroom and came back. Thank the stars Sans was so prepared all the time. With only a moment of hesitation he carefully used a wide ace bandage to wrap the small skeletons ribs tight and firm. If it caused the skeleton any pain, it was not enough to wake the skeleton up. Next Stretch delicately turned the other monster on his side and used an alcohol wipe to wipe the marrow off of the skeleton’s misaligned vertebrae. Stretch winced.

He...he really should align them. _Dammit_.

“I”m sorry,” Stretch said softly and he gripped the lower vertebra hard and jerked it back into place with a small pop. The smaller skeleton inhaled sharply eyelights blinking in and out. Stretch sat frozen waiting for the smaller to move, attack, yell, do something.

“P-Papyrus?” The smaller skeleton said softly and his eyelights flickered out again and the skeleton went still. Stretch let out a slow breath. He had never told this skeleton his name.

“Three more,” Stretch told the small unconscious skeleton. He didn’t know why. Stretch repeated the same process to the other 3 misaligned vertebrae. The skeleton did not wake up again and Stretch quickly cleaned and bandaged the wounded vertebrae.

“There. I guess that’ll do for now.” Stretch said scratching his skull looking down at the monster. He hoped the skeleton was not injured anywhere else, because he did not want to take the skeletons pants off. He did a brief look over for marrow stains but there did not seem to be any. Stretch grabbed one of Blue’s white tank-tops and put it over the lookalike.

“PAPY! Are you here!?” Blue yelled from down the stairs.

“Sans, up here!” Stretch called. He sighed looking at his brother’s lookalike as Blue bounded up the stairs. He burst through his door, his baby blue eyes wide. His grey battlebody shined perfectly and was undented unlike the not-Sans’s chest armor. His scarf matched the not Sans’s Stretch noticed with confusion.

“Papyrus, you weren’t at your post! Your such a lazybon-” Blue’s sentence came short as his big blue eyes went impossibly wide.

“Papy?” Blue said uncertainly walking over and looking down at the broken skeleton. “Who is this?”

“I’m not sure bro. I found him in the snow. He’s really hurt,” Stretch said. Stars he wanted a cigarette. He didn’t want to leave the not-Sans alone though, and he definitely didn’t want to leave the not-sans alone with Blue.

"Papy he looks just like me,” Blue said softly.

“Well, not exactly. I mean you don’t have that scar, and I think his bone’s are a little thinner?” Stretch said more for his benefit then Blue’s.  Blue squinted at him. “I found him in the woods, and he tried to attack me before he passed out,” Stretch said with a frown.

“Well, I, the magnificent Sans, will nurse this strange skeleton back to health!” Blue said after a moment, a wide smile growing on his face. Stretch felt a small smile tug at his mandible. His brother was always the optimist.

“Course you will bro,” Stretch said with an easy smile.

“I’m sure he will be hungry when he wakes up! I’ll go make tacos! Food will make him feel better!” Blue said and he bounded down the stairs. Stretch sighed and looked back at the injured skeleton, Blue’s words ringing in his head.

_Papy. He looks just like me._

“Who the hell are you, man?” Stretch sighed.

***

Razz

 

Everything hurt. That was good. It meant he was alive. Sans slowly opened his eyes, his eyelights appearing to see the dog slumped in a chair next to him fast asleep. Sans  growled lowly. The mutt was wearing a ridiculous orange hoodie with green shorts and sneakers.

Sans sat up and instantly regretted it. He took in a sharp breath looking down to see the mutt had put him in a tank-top. That meant his armor must have been severely damaged. Sans hissed as he lifted the tank top off to look at his ribs.

Well. Fuck.

At least the mutt hadn’t done a half bad job at binding them. He scowled at the sleeping skeleton and rolled the tank-top into a ball throwing it at Papyrus’s face.

“Huh-wha!?” the skeleton jerked awake looking confused. His white eyelights landed on Sans.

“Oh, good, you're awake,” Papyrus scratched the back of his skull. Razz frowned at him. What. . . had happened to his gold tooth?

“How are you feeling?” Papyrus asked digging his hands into his sweater pockets.

“I feel like shit you idiot. What are you even wearing?” Sans snapped narrowing his sockets at Papyrus.

Papyrus looked taken aback and  raised a brow bone at him.

“Uh, clothes?” Papyrus cocked his head to the side his eyelights seemed to be sizing Sans up.  Sans growled softly. Something wasn’t right. Besides the missing gold tooth and the clothes, Papyrus was acting completely different than usual. Plus his brother had been _injured._ The skeleton before him looked fine. Sans conjured a dagger like blue bone with a sharp pointed edge under the blanket that covered his hipbones.

“Relax, kid. You look tense,” Papyrus said leaning forward slightly. “Listen, I need to know-”

“You are _not_ my brother,” Sans growled  interrupting him and he charged forward raising the sharp bone.

“Holy shit man!” Papyrus teleported just barely avoiding being stabbed. Sans growled dangerously, perched on the bed in a fighting stance. So this fucker could teleport like his brother huh? No matter. He’d find a weak spot, incapacitate this asshole. Torture him. Find out what the fucker had done with his real brother. He panted hard swaying slightly. His head felt heavy and the room was spinning. Fuck. _Fuck._

“Just take it easy!” Papyrus said. “And put the weapon away! I’m not going to hurt you.”

Sans snarled as the orange hoodied imposter stepped forward and he swung his bone dagger again, missing entirely. Sans groaned as another wave of dizziness hit him and he fell back onto the bed.

“You're going to hurt yourself! You need to lie still!” Papyrus scolded. “Stop trying to attack me and calm down!”

“I’ll kill you!” Sans hissed forcing his aching bones up again, summoning another bone dagger. He needed to attack. He needed to defend himself. He needed to find his brother.

“No one’s going to hurt you. But you need to relax. You’re going to agitate your wounds,” Papyrus said with a sigh. “Put the weapon away.”

Sans snarled and charged. Stretch disappeared as the dagger missed appearing behind Sans.

_Fuck._

Papyrus sighed. “Can’t we talk?”

Sans turned sharply slashing with his weapon. Papyrus dodged again, disappearing and  reappearing on the other side of the bed.

“I”m getting really tired of this,” Stretch said, impatience coloring his tone. Sans grinned spinning the dagger in his hand. His ribs screamed in protest, and his spine was stiff and ached. HIs body was in agony, but he didn’t let it show.

“Don’t worry. You’re about to have an eternal slumber,” Sans growled and he ran forward and slashed behind him, nearly hitting the skeleton when he teleported.

“Ah!” Papyrus yelled looking at his hoodie which had been torn from the bone blade. “Okay that’s it!” Papyrus growled and he held out his hand.

_Ting._

Sans looked down to see his soul blue.

Fuck.

“You need a time out,” Papyrus snapped his eyelights glowing orange and Sans was pushed back into the bed. Sans snarled thrashing against the blue hold trying to move.

“I’m trying to help you!” Papyrus said looking down at Sans.

"I don't need help from some dust blowing in the wind!" Sans snarled.

“Oh good! You’re awake!” A cheerful voice came from the doorway. Sans snapped his head towards the offending voice and his body froze. A skeleton with more than a striking resemblance stood in the doorway with a plate of tacos. The skeleton had an identical blue bandana, and a gray and blue battle body. His eyes were a bright baby Blue.

“Heh!” Sans choked. “Heh heh ha! Heh, _heh_!” Sans howled with laugher, his head falling back against the pillow.

This was ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous. Was that suppose to be _him?_

“Are. . . are you okay?” The little matching skeleton asked sounding uncertain.

“Think he’s uh… shell shocked bro,” Papyrus drawled picking up a taco shell.

“Was that a pun!?” the smaller skeleton squinted up at Papyrus.

“A pun? Me? Never. Listen we need to taco this out and figure out what’s going on,” Papyrus said.

“PAPY. NO. Stop!” The little skeleton whined. Sans shook his head staring at the two. This was insane. Completely insane. He was dreaming. He had to be.

***

_Slim_

“NGH…” Slim gripped his fists tightly, red marrow dripping from his palms. He staggered to the left through the snow, his vision fuzzy.

“M-my lord?” He groaned. Where was Sans? _Where was Sans!?_ Slim hissed in pain as his leg gave out. His femur had spider web like cracks all over it, and his HP was low. Too low.

_0.01_

He wasn’t going to make it, was he?

No. He couldn’t die yet. He had to find Sans. Slim hissed pulling himself back up, stumbling forward, slowly. Trees and trees, and more trees. He wasn’t even sure where in Snowdin forest he was.

How could I lose him? How could he lose his brother? Sure the shortcut had been unplanned and rushed, but he had had a firm grip didn’t he!? Hadn’t he?

The two had burst out of the shortcut in the air, and somehow he had lost his brother in the fall. He couldn’t be far, could he? They couldn’t landed that far from each other.

So why couldn’t he find him?

“My lord…?” Slim groaned as a wave of agony shot through his leg, hands, and pelvis. Dammit. Slim fell to his knees taking hard, slow breaths.

" _My. my._ You don’t look like you're doing well at all.”  drawled an amused cold voice. Slim’s head turned sharply as he scanned the area for the intruder. He didn’t see anything. A voice clicked.

“Down here.” The voice growled. Slim looked down to see a small, fluffy white creature with cat like ears. It’s black eyes were lit in a cold amusement.

“Hello Smiley. It’s me, Temmie, the tem, don’t you remember?” The creature asked it’s features twisting into a dark smile. Slim snarled softly and a blaster appeared over his shoulder.

“Wait- you’ve never done that before!” The creature gasped as Slim’s blaster released an orange beam of magic where the creature had been standing. It moved fast. Slim’s eyelight burned with orange magic as he watched the creature flee. He had to save his magic. The blaster disappeared and Slim dragged himself forward, crawling. He needed to find Sans. He needed to make sure he was alright. He fell out of the thick tree’s in front of the purple door to the ruins.

“Dammit,” Slim hissed and he collapsed into the snow. Everything hurt and his vision was failing. He felt his eyelights go out as he dug his fingers into the snow. He had to keep moving he had to. Everything hurt, and he couldn't move.

“Oh my! Papyrus!” Gasped a warm, familiar voice. “What happened!?”


	2. Blue meets an even stranger skeleton

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Razz is as pleasant as always, and Blue meets Slim.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ayyy! Chapter 2! I think I'm going to update on Tuesdays!
> 
> ...
> 
> Yes. Yes. I do know it's wednesday. BUT it's going to update on Tuesdays. Tuuuuesdaaaays. 
> 
> Hopefully. Smol chapter is smol, next chapter will be longer. :)

*****  
**

_Slim_

 The first thing Slim noticed was an almost sickly-sweet smell. He groaned, his eyes reluctantly opening taking in the very purple room he’s residing in.

  _What in Toriel’s name?_

 Slim sat up ignoring his protesting pelvis as he lurched forward. He was in a deceptively comfortable bed with satin purple sheets and a black comforter.

 On further inspection, the walls really were a deep purple color with a black lattice diamond design along the top. There was a polished, wooden, wardrobe, a bedside table with an ornate looking oil lamp. Overall the room was very lavish and expensive looking. Slim’s soul stirred with anxiety. What was he doing in a room like this?

 Slim didn’t have to question long as the door slid open, a familiar, spider monster stepping in holding a silver tray with tea and a scone.

 “Oh good, your awake dearie~” Muffet said with a gentler smile than he had seen on her in years. Slim just stared at her. She looked so different. Her hair was in cute pigtails with matching purple ribbons, not the ponytail he had grown accustomed too. Her five eyes were no longer a glowing red, but black, and she had one extra arm than he was accustomed to, making a total of six. The X like scar across her cheek was mysteriously absent as well. Muffet looked, well, like she had a long time ago. Before the world happened to her, and everybody else.

 "Here drink this,” Muffet pushed a cup of tea into his hands. Slim hissed, the cup was hot against his bandaged palms. Bandaged? Huh. Slim looked himself over. Seemed like Muffet had been hard at work trying to keep him together. He eyed her warily before pressing the cup to his mouth and taking a hesitant sip. He froze at the sweet taste.

 “Is that honey?” Slim asked, hesitant.

 “Course it is. I know you like tea with your honey,” Muffet winked. Slim stared down at the cup, brow knitting.

 “Are you going to tell me what happened, Pap? You were nearly dead in the snow when I found you,” Muffet asked frowning, her tone turning serious. Slim blinked up at her and shifted uncomfortably. He hadn’t heard that pet name in years either. What was going on!?

 Muffet raised a single eyebrow staring at him. She sighed, after a few moments of silence, realizing Slim wasn’t going to tell her anything. He sipped at the tea letting it warm his soul.

 "You almost died. You know, that right?” Muffet asked breaking the silence. Slim shrugged. All five eyes narrowed at frustration in him. Well that was the same. Slim couldn’t hold back the smirk.

 “Well, you don’t have to tell me what happened, but I think you owe Sans an explanation. I called him just before you woke up, he should be here any moment,” Muffet said after another moment of silence.

 “Is he okay!?” Slim asked his soul nearly jumping out of his ribcage. Sans was alright? He has answered his phone!? Why hadn’t Slim though to call his phone? Muffet stared at him her lips thinning.

 “Is there a reason why he wouldn’t be? Were you two together when this,” Muffet gestured at his broken pelvis, and femur, “happened?”

 Slim shrugged finishing the tea. Muffet clicked in frustration. A chime rang down the hall and Muffet turned.

 “That’s probably him now,” Muffet said walking down to greet the skeleton. Slim clenched his fists ignoring the pulsing pain it caused his cracked palms. Sans was okay. _Sans was okay._ Thank the stars. Slim let out a slow, steady breath. He had been so worried. Things had _not_ been going well in the fight against that monster, and the freak teleport 60 feet in the air? That definitely hadn’t helped. Oh fuck. He was going to be in _so much_ trouble.

 As Slim heard footsteps approaching his relief at his brother being okay quickly turned into anxiety. He stared at his palms, wrapped tightly in Muffet’s annoyingly pink cloth bandages, resting them in his lap trying not to show how nervous he was. Trying not to betray his emotions.

  _Emotions are weak. Are you weak brother?_

 Slim didn’t look up, but he saw out of the corner of his eye the short figure pass the doorway. Slim swallowed hard.

 “...Papyrus?”

 Slim flinched. He tried to look up. He really, really did. But he couldn’t. He couldn’t bear the disappointment that he knew would be in those cold blue eyes. The disgust.  

 “I-I’m sorry my lord,” Slim whispered softly. “I’m sorry.”

 ***

Blue

Blue watched the small, strange skeleton as he laughed harder than Papy laughs after a particularly horrid pun. The skeleton laughed so hard tears began to form in his sockets and the look alike banged his head against the banister of the bed several times. Blue looked at Stretch who had ran out of puns minutes ago, leaving the two of them to stare at the laughing skeleton.

Papyrus shrugged at Blue, his hand still held out, still holding the other skeleton under a blue attack. Blue didn’t think that was exactly necessary. The skeleton didn’t seem dangerous. Just a little unwell.

 The look alike’s laughter finally slowed, and his intense light blue eyes seemed to pierce Blue’s soul as he stared at him. Blue fought back a shiver and offered a smile. The skeleton did not smile back. Stars. This skeleton looked so much like him. Exactly like him even. Minus a scar. He thought he and Papy were the last skeletons left in the underground. He had been too young to remember their parents, and there were no pictures, but he and Papy looked so different, so the odds of a third unknown skeleton appearing having the same _face_ was not very likely, was it?

 “Uh, Hi! I’m Sans,” Blue said after an awkward moment of silence. Blue shifted and walked forward placing the plate of Tacos on the night stand. The little skeleton’s ice stare left Blue and shifted to the plate of food. The skeleton’s sockets narrowed, and he went back to staring into what felt like the depths of Blue’s soul.

 “Papy, why are you using a blue attack on him?” Blue scolded gently, averting his eyes away from the skeleton. This was getting uncomfortable, and he was more than a little creeped out.

 “He was a bit aggressive bro,” Stretch said giving the look alike a disgruntled look.

 “You’ll get tired eventually, and your attack will wear off,” The look alike said softly. Blue flinched. _That was his voice._ It was sharper than usual, and had an edge to it, but it was definitely his voice. “And when it does,” The skeleton continued, his eyes flashed and his eyelights began glowing a frigid pulsing blue, “I’m going to break every bone in your body, one by one, starting with the phalanges.”

 Blue stared at the other skeleton feeling completely appalled. He now understood why Papyrus had him under a blue spell. This skeleton was completely unhinged. Stretch raised a brow bone.

 “That’s very rude!” Blue said, and he bit back annoyance that his voice was higher than usual. “You're a guest, in our home. My brother found you in the forest and brought you back, and tended to your wounds! You should be thanking him, not threatening him! That’s no way to treat him!” Blue huffed crossing his arms.

 The look-alike scowled at Blue and Blue met his gaze, staring defiantly back. The look alike rolled his eyelights.

 “You’re Sans?” The look alike asked, his voice was almost mocking.

 “Yes,” Blue said unsure where the skeleton was going with this. The skeleton snorted his ice eyes landing back on Stretch. “So that makes you Papyrus.” He drawled looking unimpressed.

 “In the flesh,” Stretch said with a wink. Blue’s eye twitched at the pun and the other skeleton scoffed.  “But, hey, I checked you. Your name is Sans too. Kinda weird coincidence, don’t you think?” Stretch asked staring at the other skeleton. The other skeleton scowled at him, looking insulted and Blue gasped.

 “What!? His name is Sans?” Blue demanded. He supposed he should have expected that. The new skeleton already had his face and body. Why not take his name too? “Are you. . .are you a clone!?” Blue demanded staring at the skeleton, thinking back to those cartoon movies Undyne and Alphys made him watch.

 “You checked me!?” The skeleton demanded looking incredulous.

 “Dude, I already saw your ribs, spine, and half your pelvis. We’re there. We’ve reached that point,” Stretch said with a halfhearted shrug. The skeleton snarled angrily, trying to lunge forward and instead flailing against the gravity weighing him down.

 “You do know how turning a soul blue works, yeah?” Stretch drawled, a lazy grin spreading across his features.

 “Shut the fuck up, of course I do!” The skeleton yelled.

 “Language,” Blue scolded. He shook his head, fighting down a deep sigh. This was so weird. “Okay, first things first, we’re going to have to give you a nickname,” Blue decided, looking at the angry copy.

 “Fuck off you star damned blueberry, no one’s calling me by some dumbass nickname!” The look alike snarled.  Blue scowled. Blueberry? He was- okay, he supposed his magic _was_ blue, and his eyelights, and some of his outfit, but really. That was just silly!

 “What about Ice? Because your magic has such a could aura,” Blue offered.

 “No.” Snapped the skeleton.

 “What about Raspberry?” Stretch drawled lazily, an amused look twinkling in is eyelights. “Cuz you’re such a _rasspectable_ figure?” Stretch winked.

 “Fuck. no.” The skeleton growled.

 “I think Razz would work!” Blue said with a smile.

 “It’s a _berry_ good idea,” Stretch grinned.  Razz snarled loudly.

 “I swear to Queen Toriel if either of you call me that stupid fucking name I’ll-” Razz’s tirade was cut off as Blue’s bell like ringtone went off.

 “Hello?” Blue answered with a smile. If you smiled when you spoke, people could hear it in your voice. At least that’s what monster kid told him.

 “Sans! I found your brother in the snow! He’s really hurt. I’ve patched him up best I could. Used as much healing magics as I had to spare and wrapped him up. His HP is still low, 0.5, but, it’s better than it was!” Muffet’s voice was urgent, and worried. Blue blinked stupidly looking at Stretch, then to Razz. Well. If Razz looked exactly like him and his name was Sans, then he supposed he shouldn’t be surprised there was another skeleton that looked like Papyrus, with Papyrus’s name.

  _What was going on?_

 “Sans!?” Muffet said with an anxious note.

 “Uh yeah sorry! I’ll be right there!” Sans said, and he hung up. He glanced at Razz who was giving him death glares, his arms crossed tightly against his ribcage.

 “I’ll be back soon, I have to go check on something,” Blue said offering Razz a weak smile.

 “Fuck you, Blueberry.” Razz snapped. Blue glanced at Stretch. His brother gave him a curious look. Blue gave an apologetic smile. They really couldn't leave Razz alone right now could they? He was very hurt, and very violent and it was best if Stretch stayed with him for now. Blue would have to investigate what was going on at Muffet’s by himself.

 “I’ll be back soon, Papy, it’s nothing,” Blue said. Stretch raised a browbone but didn’t question Blue. “Make sure Razz eats,” Blue added as he headed towards the door.

 “I’m in the room. Don’t talk about me like I’m not! Address me, you asshole!” Razz snarled.

 “Language,” Blue scolded and he left quickly, missing Razz’s enraged retort as he took the stairs two at a time. He made his way to Muffet’s quickly. The cafe had a few customers lounging about. Spiders were serving them, but Muffet was nowhere to be seen. Hesitantly, Blue rang the little bell at the edge of the bar. A minute later Muffet walked out of the employee only door.

 “There you are dearie~” Muffet said. She was frowning, before she began worrying her lower lip with a fang.

 “What happened?” Blue asked curiously, following Muffet through the employee only door and up the stairs to her private apartment.

 “He won’t tell me. He’s acting really off. He was really bad Sans. He was by the ruins half dead in the snow. His Pelvis is smashed pretty good, his femurs broken too, and his hands are fractured,” Muffet winced as if she physically felt the wounds she was describing. Blue swallowed hard. He didn’t want to imagine those kinds of wounds on his brother. But this wasn’t his brother. Still.

 “He’s acting off. He keeps staring at me like he’s amazed. Like I’m doing something unusual or something, and he won't tell me anything,” Muffet sighed.

 “I’ll talk to him,” Blue said with a smile. She gave a slight nod.

 “Through there,” she said gesturing to the open door down the hallway. Blue took a breath and walked down the hallway, stepping into what could only be Muffet’s bedroom, and he stared.

 The skeleton in front of him looked so much like Papy. Exact same face, same bone structure. The skeleton was wearing a thick black coat with a white fur hood. A golden tooth glistened from his mouth. A red collar was around his throat with silver studded spikes, and the skeleton was staring down at his lap his shoulder’s stiff.

 “. . .Papyrus?” Blue asked uncertain. The skeleton flinched as if Blue had yelled.

 “I-I’m sorry my lord,” the skeleton whispered softly. “I’m sorry.”

 Blue blinked trying to make sense of the skeleton before him, and the words that had come out of his mouth. _His lord?_ What. . . what did that even mean!? Who did he think Blue was? Razz, right? He had to think Blue was Razz. Was Razz some kind of royalty? This was all too strange. This couldn’t just happen to be another strange skeleton, suddenly appearing that looked exactly like Papyrus after Razz had showed up looking exactly like Blue, this new skeleton had to be related to Razz.

 “Sans, will do,” Blue said gently. The skeleton flinched again and as Blue took a step closer, the skeleton inched further back against the bed’s headboard. Blue paused. This skeleton was seriously afraid. Afraid of him? Blue frowned.

 "My lord?” The skeleton sounded confused, but still wasn’t looking at him, staring straight down instead.

 "I’m Sans,” Blue said patiently. “And, uh, well, I don’t think we’ve met. But you look a whole lot like my brother,” Blue said. The skeleton frowned and hesitantly he looked up, orange eyelight meeting Blue’s before they shrank, and he quickly looked back down. Blue cocked his head to the side frowning at the skittish skeleton. Hesitantly, the skeleton looked back up, and the Papyrus look alike stared at him like a startled animal and his sockets widened.

 “Y-you. . .” He gasped.

 “Uh?” Blue said, unsure what to say and he smiled. “I take it I look a lot like your brother?” Blue guessed. They had to be brothers, Razz and this guy, right? Just like he and Papyrus. “Because you look almost exactly like mine,” Blue added. The skeleton’s eyelights scanned him, probably noting all the differences between Blue and Razz.

 “I- I don’t- I don’t understand,” The skeleton whispered.

 “Me either,” Blue answered honestly, he took a slow step forward and was relieved to note that the skeleton didn’t try to retreat any more than he already had. “I mean you look like my brother, sound like my brother, and I’m willing to bet you have the same name as my brother. HIs name’s Papyrus,” Blue said. The skeleton blinked at him as if Sans had spoken another language.

 “And I’m guessing your brother’s name is also Sans,” Blue said. Slowly, the skeleton nodded. He shifted with a pained groan.

 “You look almost exactly like my lord,” The skeleton said softly, and he averted his eyelights away from Blue. “But different. A little bit. And Muffet. She looks different too.” The skeleton mumbled.

 “Really? This is all really strange,” Blue said with a frown. The skeleton nodded in silent agreement, staring at his lap again.

 “So, do you think we could find a nickname for you?” Blue asked after a moment of silence. “Calling you Papyrus would get really confusing,” Blue said. The skeleton glanced up warily.

 “My lord calls me mutt,” The skeleton offered. Blue felt a flare of anger burn through his soul. This skeleton wasn’t scared of him, Blue realized. _He was scared of Razz._

 What had Razz done to make his brother so afraid? So submissive and complacent? To allow himself to be called mutt? That certainly did not sound like a term of endearment. Blue took a deep breath. He shouldn’t judge. He didn’t know the context. It could be a term of endearment. A really _weird_ term of endearment. And Froggits could fly, and Hotland was cold.

 “How about another name,” Blue said once he had squashed the flame of anger into a small spark and knew he could keep the anger out of his voice. The skeleton shrugged.

 “Ah I- uh… what about...” The skeleton fell silent shifting slightly.

 “Go ahead,” Blue prompted gently.

 “What about Slim?” The skeleton asked softly. Blue smiled.

 “Sure, that’s a great name,” Blue praised. Slim blinked looking completely taken aback and his cheeks flushed orange and he shrunk down into his jacket hiding his face. Blue couldn’t help the wide grin that appeared on his own face.

 “So, Slim,” Blue said after a few moments of waiting for the skeleton to stop hiding in his coat. “What happened to you?”

 “Woke up in Muffet’s bed,” Slim explained with an exasperated look slowly allowing his face to leave the shelter of his hood.

 “I, uh, meant before all that. Who hurt you?” Blue asked, growing increasingly afraid the answer was Razz. Slim stared at him for a moment as if trying to figure out how to answer.

 “A monster,” Slim said finally.

 “Who?” Blue prompted.

 “I don’t know,” Slim said after a moment of silence. “He attacked me at my post. I tried to hold him off, but he was strong. My brother intervened before the monster could kill me. We both fought him,” Slim said looking down. “It’s my fault my lord got hurt.  I couldn’t even defend myself,” Slim said softly.

 “Hey. Don’t beat yourself up! I’m sure you did your best,” Blue said with confidence. Slim didn’t look convinced at all and he gave Blue a puzzled look.

 “The worst part is I lost my lord. We were losing, badly. We were both very hurt so I -” Slim paused looking up at Blue suddenly.

 “You?” Blue asked, and he sat at the chair at Muffet’s vanity table, seeing as he might be here for a while and faced Slim.

 “I grabbed him, and ran,” Slim said quickly. Blue frowned, staring that other skeleton curiously. Slim's voice had gone down an octave and he was fidgeting more than previously. It reminded him of Papy when he lies. Blue felt like he definitely wasn’t getting the whole story here, but he wasn’t going to push. “We got separated and I collapsed in the snow. Then I woke up here,” Slim finished, curling his knees up to his chin and resting his on chin on them.

 “Huh,” Blue said thoughtfully. “Where there’s a skeleton who looks almost exactly like your brother and a Muffet you don’t recognize,” Blue trailed. Would secret lab clones have memories of other towns folk? Blue couldn’t make heads or tails of this situation.

 “Do you think. . .never mind.” Slim said glancing down.

 “Think what?” Blue asked. Slim seemed to shrink within himself.

 Just as Blue didn’t think he was going to get an answer, Slim said, “Do you think I somehow traveled through time?” Blue blinked looking thoughtful.

 “I don’t know. Is that even possible?” Blue asked.

 “Theoretically,” Slim shrugged and he dug through his jacket pocket before pulling out a pack of smokes. Blue tried to keep the disgusted look off his face but to his surprise Slim didn’t light one of them, he was counting them.

 “So, you're from an alternate timeline then?” Blue suggested. One where Blue apparently was prone to violence?

 “Maybe,” Slim said with a shrug. “I was thinking from the future.” Seeming satisfied with his count Slim put the pack back in his jacket, holding a lone cigarette in his hand.  “Do you think Muffet would be offended if I lit up in here?”

 Blue honestly felt like he himself would be offended if the skeleton lit up a cigarette, but, the skeleton was in no condition to leave the bed. Blue sighed, holding back his lecture on how bad cigarettes were. Slim was hurt. He deserved some kind of familair comfort right? Even if it was a disgusting habit he shared with Blue's own brother.

 “I’m sure she’d understand,” Blue sighed. Slim sparked the cigarette with orange magic and let out a slow, satisfied sigh, breathing in the nicotine and exhaling a cloud of smoke. Blue’s nasal passage wrinkled, and he frowned at the tickle in the back of his throat.

 “You know that’s a bad habit, right?” Blue couldn’t stop himself. “It’s really unhealthy!” Blue amended. He expected Slim to flinch or avert his eyes as he had been doing but instead Blue was graced with a small, half smirk and a shrug.

 “Slim chances of it killing me,” He said. Blue’s socket twitched. He had a sneaking suspicion Slim’s chosen name was for the purpose of a plethora of puns. Blue held back a groan. Slim’s smirk widened just a fraction as Blue reigned in his frustration. “I need to get back out there,” Slim sighed staring out the window. “I need to find my lord.”

 “Slim, your femurs broken. You need to heal up, besides,” Blue started, and he faltered. He needed to tell Slim his brother was okay. That Razz was at his house, likely still thrashing under Stretch’s blue attack like a wild animal. Blue opened his mouth, but no words came out.

 What was it Razz had said to Papy? _I’m going to break every bone in your body, one by one, starting with the phalanges._ Blue’s soul panged as he took Slim in. His submissive nature, the flinching and eye averting, the way the slim had dissolved into heartfelt apologies the minute Blue walked into the room.  Something was seriously wrong between these two brothers. Was it really safe for Blue to tell Slim where Razz was? Slim would probably ignore his injuries and try to get to his brother’s side as fast as possible, and Razz, well. . . if Slim felt the need to be sorry, that meant Razz was angry. Blue didn’t want Slim hurt even worse.

  _You're making assumptions._ Blue scolded himself. He had no idea what was going on between the two look alikes, or where they even came from. There was no reason to suspect Razz would hurt Slim.

 “Besides what?” Slim asked interrupting Blue’s thoughts. Blue startled meeting the skeleton’s half lidded sockets. The skeleton was the most relaxed Blue had seen him, leaning back into Muffet’s fluffy pillow a cigarette hanging out of his mouth.

“Besides, I’m sure your brother’s fine.” Blue said with a smile.   _You dirty liar._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blue, you god damned liar.
> 
> Stretch and Muffet really should be careful what they bring into their homes guys. Not that I'm [foreshadowing](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaAAk-uSKhk) or anything ;)


	3. Bonding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where Razz and Stretch bond and build a healthy friendship!  
> Warnings: A bit of violence and disturbing actions.
> 
> ...
> 
> I'm *sure* the two have nothing to do with eachother ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh! I'm so sorry it's so late! It's all Razz's fault really. Thank you, everyone, that kudo'd and commented and bookmarked! Gives me life, keeps me writing!

***

Stretch

 “You done?” Stretch drawled leaning the chair he was sitting on back, precariously on two legs. Razz scowled at him his ice eyelights flashing. “Because, buddy, using blue magic really doesn’t take that much magic. I could sit here for hours,” Stretch said looking at the angry skeleton in front of him with a shrug.

 Razz huffed, a bratty, pout appearing on his features. Stretch felt the corner of his smile twitch up. The petulant look Razz was giving him reminded him of his brother when he was younger.

 “Release me, you idiot.” Razz growled.

 “You gonna play nice?” Stretch asked.

 “Yes,” Razz growled.

 “I don’t think you’re being very sincere there Raspberry.”

 “ _Stop calling me that_! I am the Malicious Sans; Captain of the Queens guard and you will address me as such!” Razz snarled his cheekbones turning blue in anger. Stretch snorted.

 “Nah. I’m still gonna call you Raspberry.” Stretch winked and he chuckled.

“STOP LAUGHING AT ME!” Razz snarled, magic blue bones appearing and launching at Stretch. Stretch easily dodged them with a heavy sigh. Razz scowled, panting hard, his eyelights becoming unfocused.

 “You trying to dust yourself?” Stretch scolded. Razz hissed like a deranged cat slumping against the pillows.  Stretch rolled his eyelights. “Come on, man. This is getting old. You try to attack me, your aim is terrible, and you miss, you get dizzy, repeat,” Stretch drawled.

 “Fuck you!” Razz spat. Stretch sat back in his chair observing the small skeleton before him. “So, where are you from?” Stretch asked casually. Razz scowled at him.

 “Snowdin, but you knew that you disgusting imposter. I’m going to break through this blue spell and when I do I’m going to make you wish-”

 “Yeah, yeah. Can we skip the whole increasingly disturbing threats upon my life and well-being? Good. Okay. We have a problem. Besides your attitude that is,” Stretch said taking out a cigarette. Razz scowled at Stretch. Stretch looked around warily, for Blue, before he lit his cigarette. He wasn’t supposed to smoke in the house, but, eh, not like he could leave the house at the moment, so, he was sure his brother would understand.

 “That is disgusting!” Razz squawked looking indignant. Stretch blew a smoke ring towards Razz and the shorter skeleton growled.

 “So. Your name is Sans. My brother’s name is Sans. You both look practically identical. You have a brother, his name must be Papyrus, I look a lot like him, right? We’ve never met each other before, and we both live in Snowdin. I’m thinking alternate universes,” Stretch said thoughtfully.

 “What the fuck does that mean?” Razz demanded his sockets narrowed.

 “Hm. Okay. So, say this morning you had to choose between toast and cereal for breakfast? We will pretend you chose toast. That ‘creates’ an alternate timeline where you could have chosen cereal instead. When the timelines diverge, or gain enough differences, they become alternate universes. Some universes are very similar, some, very different.” Stretch explained in the most basic terms he could. Razz frowned.

 “That makes no fucking sense!” Razz snapped.

 “It makes perfect sense,” Stretch crossed his arms.

 “So, you're a time traveler who has invaded my home?” Razz demanded.

 “Uh, well considering this is _my_ house and that’s my version of Snowdin out there,” Stretch gestured towards the window, “I’d say _you're_ the dimension hopper. Or, less likely, time traveler, but seriously, I doubt you time traveled. You're definitely not a past version of my brother, which means you would have travelled from the future, and if that was the case I’d need to have a serious talk with my brother,” Stretch said blowing out another ring of smoke. “So, I’m going with alternate universe,” Stretch said. Razz glared at Stretch darkly.

 “How did I get here then?” Razz asked.

 “Well, I was gonna ask you that, Berry.” Stretch said.

 “Don’t call me that!” Razz snapped, and he crossed his arms and his ice eyelights darted around the room. “Your room has different wallpaper then my brother’s does, but, it's just as filthy.” Razz muttered under his breath. Stretch shrugged. Razz sighed, and the intense glow of his eyes dimmed, and he seemed to relax slightly, into the bed. “Maybe I really am in another time period.”

 “Universe,” Stretch corrected.

 “Whatever.” Razz scoffed.

 “And excuse you, I cleaned this room three weeks ago,” Stretch scoffed with a grin. Razz scowled at him and gave the room an unimpressed look. “Anyway. Tell me what happened before you ended up nearly dying in Snowdin forest? Maybe I can figure out how you got here,” Stretch said.

 “I was making my rounds, and went to check on the mutt, to make sure he was not slacking on the job,” Razz began, and he hesitantly grabbed the plate of tacos Blue had left for him. He frowned down at them and scoffed before picking one up warily.

 “Mutt?” Stretch asked. Razz glanced at him his eyelights glinting.

 “My brother.” Razz said waving his hand dismissively. Stretch raised a brow bone at the small angry skeleton. “When I got there, he was in battle with this really fucked up monster,” Razz said taking a sharp bite of the taco. Razz’s eyelights widened, and he began eating in earnest.

 “Heh. My bro’s a pretty good cook,” Stretch said with a proud smile. Blue was the coolest. Razz held up a middle finger, before stuffing another taco into his mouth. “Anyway, care to elaborate about that monster that attacked your brother?” Stretch asked before digging an ashtray out from underneath the bed before depositing the lit cigarette in it. Razz glared at the ashtray as if it personally offended him.

 “He was fucked up,” Razz shrugged after finishing the plate of tacos. “He was melty, and dripping black oily globs. He had wide holes in each palm and black empty sockets. There was a deep crack from his left socket to his mouth, and one from the top of his right eye to his skull. He sort of looked like a skeleton monster, minus the melty bits,” Razz said with a shrug. Stretch froze dropping the ashtray. Razz raised an eyebrow as it shattered, ashes and cigarette butts spilling all over the floor.

 No! No, no, _no!_ Stretch ran his palms down his face, feeling his breath hitch. _Calm down. Calm down._ Stretch scolded himself. It couldn’t be. _It just couldn’t be._ It couldn’t be _him._

  _Now, now P-7, if you don’t stay still, how can I properly inject your socket? Do you **want** to be blind? _

  _You’re already a disgrace of an experiment with that HP and ATK.  Don’t add blind to the list._

  _Stay. Still._

 Stretch gasped for air his soul pounding against his ribs as the unwanted memories assaulted his vison.

 ***

Slim

 The younger version of his lord was practically vibrating with excitement as he talked about training with the younger Alphys to join the royal guard and wanting Slim to heal enough so he could show Slim the current version of the underground.

 Slim tried to show an interest, but, he was really worried about his lord. Was Sans in this time period? Was he home? Was he _okay_?

 “So, what is it like where you're from?” The bluer Sans asked curiously.

 “Different. The Royal Guard was disbanded into the Queens Guard, which you're captain of,” Slim explained averting his eyes from this Sans and to the floor.  

 “WOWIE! Your brother is the captain!? THAT’S AMAZING!” Sans gasped eyelights the shape of stars. “Wait- so What happened to Alphys if he’s captain?” Sans asked with a slight frown.

 “Maybe I shouldn’t say anything. What if it messes up the timeline?” Slim said, his eyelights boring a hole into the floor. Slim really did not want to mess things up.

  _Mutt! Can’t you do anything right!?_

 Slim would have to be careful about revealing too much about the future to Sans. He did not want to cause anything to go wrong. Sans frowned further.

 “Did something bad happen to Captain Alphys?” Sans swallowed. Slim glanced at this Sans’s bright blue eyelights, they were dimmed with worry.

“Hey. Can I call you Blue?” Slim asked knowing Blue would probably note the change of subject. Blue’s eyelights shrunk slightly and a hint of a pout appeared.

 “What's wrong with Sans?” Blue asked crossing his arms. Slim flinched, but the blow he’d come to expect after upsetting his lord never came. Slim blinked and glanced at Blue.

 “It’s easier for me,” Slim said after a moment of silence. Truth be told, Slim almost never referred to his brother by his name. Calling Sans his lord had grown into such a habit that saying Sans’s name filled him with a nervous energy.

 “Okay, I guess you can call me Blue,” Blue said looking thoughtful. Slim startled as the door opened and Muffet walked in.

 “Hello Dearies~ I-” Muffet froze all five eyes blinked. “PAPYRUS! Have you been _smoking_ in my room!? _”_ Muffet’s voice turned sharp and furious. Slim, who had finished his cigarette at least ten minutes ago gave her the most innocent look he could manage.

 “Come on Muffy. I’d never do that,” Slim smiled showing off his golden tooth.

 “What did you call me!?” Muffet demanded.

 “Only thing smoking in here is you, my smoking hot arachnid.” Slim let a slight purr slip into his tone. Muffet gasped her face turning slightly red.

 “What is _wrong_ with you!?” Muffet hissed.

 “Muffet, we have a bit of a situation,” Blue said quickly, interrupting.

 “Yeah, we do. I’m about to kick your brother’s coccyx.” Muffet growled. Slim winked at her.

 “You know I like it rough Muffy.” Slim licked his teeth with a conjured orange tongue. Muffet squawked in indignation, her eyes narrowing. Blue shot Slim a disapproving look.

 “He’s not my brother,” Blue said shortly. Muffet’s five eyes blinked at him and two of her arms landed on her hips, two others crossing. “Papy was standing right next to me when you called. Papy isn't hurt and he doesn’t have a gold tooth,” Blue said glancing at Slim and back to Muffet.

 “What game are you two playing at?” Muffet demanded.

 “It’s true! And I was kinda hoping you’d keep it a secret from Papy? For now? He has a lot on his plate and I don’t want to trouble him,” Blue said giving Muffet a pleading look.

 “You seriously expect me to believe this?” Muffet deadpanned raising an eyebrow at Blue. Blue frowned.

 “Muffet the Magnificent Sans would never lie to you!” Blue huffed. Two of Muffet’s eyes rolled. “Anyway, I was thinking that Slim,” Blue gestured at Slim, and Slim winked at Muffet, “could rest here until he’s healed. We can introduce him to Papy later. I just want my brother to relax for a few days,” Blue said with a smile.

 “You want him to stay here!? _In my bed_? Where am I supposed to sleep?” Muffet demanded.

 “Aw, come on Muff, we can share the bed, nothing wrong with us knocking hips,” Slim smirked. Muffet snarled angrily.

 “Inappropriate Slim!” Blue scolded. Slim looked down, closing his eyes. When nothing happened, surprise sparking through him. Again, there had been no reprimand other than a verbal one. “I don’t want to aggravate his injuries more by taking him home, and I really don’t want Papy to know about him yet, Papyrus is stressed,” Blue said his eyelights seeming to widen, giving Muffet a cute, innocent look.

 “I’m still having a hard time believing this _isn’t_ your brother,” Muffet motioned towards Slim. Slim raised his brow bones at her suggestively. “Granted your brother has never flirted with me like this before.” Muffet frowned.

 “He’s not Papy. Slim and I think he’s from the future,” Blue said. Muffet’s eyes narrowed.

 “Is this one of your dumb pranks Papyrus?” Muffet demanded looking to Slim.

 “I mean, I’d have to be pretty dedicated to break my femur and pelvis for a joke,” Stretch drawled. Muffet sighed.

 “Okay. I won’t tell “Papyrus” about “Slim”. Not that I expect to see Papyrus in my cafe because he’s in my star damned bed,” Muffet huffed.

 “I’ll keep it warm for you,” Slim smirked. Muffet scowled.

 “Stop being creepy!” Muffet scolded.

 “Don’t be like that Muffy, you know you wanna give it a go.” Slim said and he flicked his tongue lecherously at her.

 I’m not above gagging you,” Muffet said, glaring at him hard. Slim smirked

 “Promises, promises.” Slim drawled.

 “Slim, stop being so rude!” Blue scoffed his cheekbones flushed the same color as his namesake. Slim almost managed not to flinch at the scold. Blue looked to Muffet. “Thank-you Muffet. This means a lot to me. When he heals up more I’ll take him home and introduce him to Papy and get him out of your hair,” Blue graced her with a big smile.

 “Keep an eye out for my brother too Muffy. He might be in this time period like me. He looks like Blue, but he has three scars over his left socket. Whatever you do just give him whatever he wants and don’t piss him off,” Slim advised and he looked to Blue. “You’ll look for him?”

 Blue swallowed looking away. “Yes! The Magnificent Sans is certain he will find your brother! Do not worry Slim! Rest up!”

 ***

Razz

Razz watched as his brother’s look alike began to have what was surely a panic attack. The blue spell had faded from Razz’s soul and the tall skeleton was clutching at his own skull, fingers clawing slightly at the skeleton’s crown. Stretch was gasping for breath and his eyelights had gone out.

 Razz’s bones spasmed with pain as his feet hit the floor. His spine was so stiff, and ached horribly, never mind his ribs. Everything hurt. Razz steeled his expression and walked over to the tall skeleton before crossing his arms. Clearly, this strange copy, alternate, past version, _whatever_ of his brother knew the monster that Razz had done battle with, and Razz wanted to know more. So instead of killing Stretch, like previously planned, he needed to gather information.

 “Stop it.” Razz commanded.  Stretch didn’t seem to hear him, his sharp breath only quickening his fingers drawing marrow from his skull. Razz clicked in disapproval.

 Razz raised a single brow bone before pulling his hand back and slamming his open palm across the other’s cheekbone.

 “Ah!” Stretch blinked, his fingertips going to his stinging cheekbone. “You hit me!” Stretch blinked looking shocked.

 “How observant of you,” Razz rolled his eyes, materializing a blue bone with a sharp edge pressing it under Stretch’s jaw. “What do you know about the monster that I fought?” Razz demanded.

 “What!?” Stretch hissed.

 “Don’t play stupid. You clearly knew the monster I was referencing! Or do you just have random panic attacks,” Razz drawled.

 “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Stretch hissed. Razz raised a single browbone.

  _Ting._

 Stretch looked taken aback looking down at his soul now an ice blue color. Razz smirked. Revenge was so sweet.

 “I’m going to ask you nicely, one more time, and for your sake, you had better give me an answer I like; what do you know about that asshole that I fought?” Razz growled out pulling the bone dagger back licking along the edge with an ice blue tongue. Stretch stared and his cheekbones turning slightly orange and he looked away.

 “I don’t know anything,” Stretch growled.

 “I was hoping you’d be difficult,” Razz grinned wide. He cracked the back of his hand across the other’s cheek, the same one struck earlier, enjoying Stretch’s yelp.

 “Ow!” Stretch growled narrowing his sockets at Razz. “What the hell is _wrong_ with you man!?”

 “Me? Why nothing. I’m just playing, what, am I too rough for you?”  Razz spun the bone dagger, pressing the sharp point just under Stretch’s socket. A wave of dizziness came over Razz, but he fought it, and smirked nastily at Stretch.

 “Tell me what you know about the monster,” Razz growled softly, and he grinned “or I’m going to start carving.”

 ***

Blue

Blue made his way out of Muffet’s cafe, soul hanging heavy in his chest cavity. Why had he lied to Slim and Muffet? Why didn’t he want Papy to know that he had found Razz’s brother? Why hadn’t he told Slim that Razz was safe and at his house?  Was it _really_ to protect Slim from Razz? Or, was it something else.

 Blue frowned in puzzlement.

 Slim just seemed so. . .fragile. The way he flinched, the way he looked away. He looked most at ease when Muffet was there, flirting and joking, even. If Slim truly was Papy, what on earth had happened to him? And worse, that made Razz Blue’s future. Razz was so _hostile._

 Blue had to stop whatever was going to change he and Papy like that. He refused to let it happen. He never wanted to see Papy look at him with the fear Slim had had in his eyelights. It would kill him. Blue sighed stepping back into the house.

 What if he was overreacting? He was making a lot of assumptions. Maybe Slim was just skittish, like the annoying cat? Blue pictured the annoying cat flailing off its perch in the tree the last time Blue had walked by it hissing, it’s hair standing up and fleeing.

 “Mweh,” Blue laughed at the picture.  Blue glanced up the stairs. It was quiet. He hoped Papy hadn’t fallen asleep while watching Razz.

 Blue began walking up the stairs when his phone rang.

 “Yes? This is the Magnificent Sans!” Blue answered with more cheer than he felt.

 “SANS! You’re late for your training!” Alphys boisterous voice came through. Blue glanced at his watch and gasped. How could he have lost track of time like that!?

 “THE MAGNIFICENT SANS WILL BE THERE FOR TRAINING SHORTLY!” Blue gasped, about to run down the stairs when a scream came from Papy’s room. Blue’s eyelights shrank. Had that been- had that been Papy?

 “Sans? What was that? Do you need assistance? SAY NOTHING if you need assistance!” Alphys roared.  Sans blinked before another scream came. Blue dropped the phone and ran into his brother’s room as fast as he could.

 ***

 **R** e ~~T **sA**~~ G **.** _D_ **. _W_ -**

**...**

**_~~W.D. GASTER~~ _ **

 “S _t ** ~~ay~~ st** il_l!” I reach for the squirming child in the green and yellow sweatshirt. They’re mewling over the fallen king whose dust is settling beneath us.

 Black inky tendrils wrap around the squirming child.

“T **h _i s w_** _il_ l hurT.” I growl. They bite down hard on a tentacle, and I watch as it breaks and falls. How useless. I send more tendrils to take its place, one shoving its way down the child’s throat. They scream and flail, their red eyes bulging. I recoil the tendril, a red vibrant soul in the tendril’s grasp. My face cracks as my mouth forms a smile.

 “Who are you!? Why are you doing this!” The child whimpers. “Why did you kill dad?” I briefly glance at the dust that was formerly “dad” still in the comfy chair the goat monster had been sitting in.

 “Because I can.” I growl, and I squeeze the red soul. The child screams and I press it to my teeth, my jaw unhinging, and I swallow the soul whole.

 “Oh my god!” The child whimpers and clutches at their chest. The tendrils wrapped around the child grow sharp edges and pierce through the small body.

 **-599 HP** I grin, watching as my tendrils absorb the human body until there is nothing left. The soul settles within me and I sigh.

 Determination.

  **Power.**

Nothing is going to stop my plans now.

But. I want more. Absorbing experiments USS-4 and USP-7 would do nicely. Once I consume them UFS-4 and UFP-7 can be next.

****#@$%^*^)%@((000100010001????**

Wait.

What?

…

Are you certain?

@)#!(001~!!!

SFS-4 and SFP-7 are _here_!? **_HOW_** ARE THOSE TWO HERE?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enter[ Gaster ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4hGxeukKLY) stage left!
> 
> I hope you all can sleep after that! heh.


	4. You are filled with...?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one where neither Razz nor Slim do what we expect.
> 
> AKA
> 
> where none of our questions (if we had any) are answered but more questions are made!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHAT'S THAT? THE CHAPTER WAS *PRACTICALLY* ON TIME!?  
> Warning? headcanon heavy chapter :) Things start to heat up. *queue insane cackling* 
> 
> Thank you all for commenting and Kudo's and stuff gives me life <3

***

Stretch

 “Tell me what you know about the monster that attacked my brother and me,” Razz growled softly, and he grinned, “or I’m going to start carving.”

 Stretch gave Razz an incredulous look. _Stars_. This version of Sans was seriously aggressive.

 “Wait,” Stretch said quickly, “If you and your bro are future versions of us, if you hurt me, it’ll affect your bro.” Stretch said quickly. The idea that Razz was a future version of Blue was laughable, this was _clearly_ an alternate version of his brother from a seemingly very twisted, disturbing universe. But, hopefully, Blue was just enough like a younger Razz that Razz wouldn’t want to risk hurting Stretch or Blue in favor of keeping himself and his brother safe. The ruse wouldn’t last long, differences were sure to be noticed as the skeleton healed, but it’d work for now and that’s all Stretch needed.

 “Hm. Well I guess my dear older brother is going to gain some scars,” Razz said flippantly, and he smirked nastily. Stretch flinched feeling the dagger dig slightly into him.

  _Okay_ , Stretch thought, swallowing hard, _Plan B_.

 Stretch was frozen to the spot from the blue gravity spell, it was true, but, he could move his hands. Just not his full body. Stretch sighed before he clenched his fist and punched the smaller skeleton in the ribs he had previously bound and cared for.

 Razz fell back with a scream.

 “YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE!” Razz roared from the floor, curling in on himself. The blue gravitation on Stretch’s soul disappeared and Stretch stood up, walking over to the injured skeleton, looking down at him crossing his arms.

 “You have issues man,” Stretch said with a sigh before grabbing Razz’s wrist, pulling him off the floor and towards the bed. Razz snarled and bit down hard on Stretch’s arm. Stretch yelled in surprise, trying to pull his arm back but Razz growled like a small angry bear, his jaw clenching, his razor-sharp teeth sinking in further.

 “Ah! Let go of me!” Stretch yelled. The door burst open and Blue ran in and froze. Blue’s eyelights trailed from Stretch, grimacing in pain with his hand tightly clasped on Razz’s wrist, to Razz, whose teeth were deep in his brother’s ulna.

 “. . . Razz please stop biting Papy’s arm.” Blue said slowly, calmly. As if this was a completely normal scenario. This _better not_ become a ‘normal’ scenario. Razz snarled loudly at Blue, but he let go. Stretch shoved Razz, harder than he meant to and the skeleton fell back onto Stretch’s bed with a grunt and a hiss.

“Look, I’m not sure where you’re from buddy, but we don’t attack other monsters here,” Stretch said rubbing at the incision marks on his ulna. Beads of marrow had formed in them. Stretch left out the ‘or torture’ not wanting to upset Blue. Blue gave Razz a wary look and looked at Stretch with big, blue eyelights.

 “Are you okay Papy?”

 “I’m fine,” Stretch assured quickly. Blue’s eyelights brightened and the tenseness in Blue’s shoulders released.

 “How have you lived this long if you don’t attack other monsters?” Razz huffed, crossing his arms. His intense eyelights had dimmed considerably, and they were kind of fuzzy.

 “Are monsters attacked often in your time period?” Blue asked curiously.

 “World. He’s from another world,” Stretch corrected. The alternative was too horrible to contemplate.

 “You could say that,” Razz said shifting into a more comfortable position on the bed. His sockets fell to half mass, but he still managed to look completely pissed off at Stretch and Blue. Must be a gift.

 “Hey. you okay?” Blue asked with a frown.

 “I’m fine!” Razz said but it lacked the usual bite his words seemed to have. “I just. . .” Razz trailed off his eyelights going out.

 “Razz!?” Blue said sockets widening. Blue stood next to the bed and gave his twin’s shoulder a hesitant, small, shake. Razz didn’t respond.

 Shit. How hard had Stretch hit him? Stretch stepped forward waving his hand in front of the blank sockets and snapping his finger, but there was still no response.

 “Papy? What happened?” Blue asked. Stretch scratched the back of his head. “He, well, he got pretty aggressive and I might have punched him in his ribs, and they might have been already broken but I’m sure he’s fine!” Stretch added quickly.

 “PAPY!” Blue scolded. “You can’t just hit monsters! Especially injured monsters!” Blue placed his hands on his hips shaking his head. Stretch did a quick check on Razz. There was no difference from the first time he had checked Razz, no dip in HP.

 “His HP’s the same. I think he just over did it. I mean, he’s been using magic since he woke up and his magic has to be low,” Stretch said sheepishly.

 “Or someone hit him in his broken ribs,” Blue sassed crossing his arms. Stretch gave a half smile and a shrug.

 “So, I guess he and his bro were attacked by a monster,” Stretch was very proud he didn’t stumble over the word in his quite smooth if he said so himself subject change. He would hardly call the person that attacked Razz and his brother a monster, hell he wouldn’t call it a person, they were attacked by a fucking demon. But, Stretch wasn’t going to get into that can of worms with Razz he certainly wasn’t going to get into it with Blue. No good would come from it, besides, _the doctor_ was in _their_ world, not here, so there was no reason to bring him up to anyone.

 “What kind of monster would hurt someone like that?” Blue asked looking sad.

 “I don’t know bro,” Stretch said softly.

 “SANS!” A voice roared from down the stairs.

 THOOM THOOM THOOM.

 The door burst off its hinges as Alphys rushed through the door, a battle axe raised above her head. Stretch blinked at the captain stupidly and Blue grinned wide.

 “Captain Alphys!” Blue greeted cheerfully.

 “I came as soon as I could when you didn’t reply on the phone! What’s going on!” Alphys said her beady eyes looking around the room and she froze, staring at Razz’s unconscious form.

 “What the hell!?” Alphys hissed.

 “Uh…” Blue said, and he began to sweat. Stretch sighed. He hadn’t exactly wanted to broadcast Razz, especially since he seemed particularly unstable in both mind and body.

 “This is Razz,” Stretch said gesturing towards the broken skeleton. “He’s our cousin from Hotland,” Stretch said. Like that was believable.

 “. . .” Alphys stared at Razz than back to Blue. “Sans, he looks just like you!” Alphys said crossing her arms.

 “That’s incredibly racist. I don’t say all lizard monsters look alike,” Stretch said with a wink. Alphys gave Stretch an unimpressed look and looked back to Blue.

 “Our mom,” Blue said gesturing to Stretch and himself, “was twins with his mom,” Blue jerked his thumb towards Razz and shrugged. Stretch resisted the urge to slap his palm against his face. That was an even _worse_ cover story than Stretch’s already shoddy cover story.

 “I see,” Alphys said looking as if she didn’t believe either of them. “What the heck happened to him?” Alphys asked eyeing the bandaged ribs and spine.

 “Hurt on the job in Hotland. He works on maintaining the core, nearly fell in,” Stretch lied easily. Blue gave him a surprised look but quickly schooled his features.

 “So, we are nursing him back to health with the magnificent Sans’s excellent care!” Blue said with a grin.

 “Ah,” Alphys said giving Razz one final wary look. “Well, did you still want to train Sans?”

 Blue gasped. “Definitely!” Blue’s pupils turned to stars in his excitement. Blue glanced at Stretch. “Will you two get along without me here,” Blue asked a worried look taking over his features.

 “I got everything under control, don’t worry bro,” Stretch said, and he smiled watching Blue bound down the stairs energetically with Alphys chasing after him. Stretch waited until the front door closed before turning to look at Razz.

 “Toriel, I need a drink,” Stretch sighed. He squinted at Razz before digging through his dresser. His dresser, unlike a normal person, did not hold clothes. Instead the drawers consisted of screwdrivers, machine parts, oil, bolts, screws, and duct tape mostly.

 Stretch pulled out the duct tape and walked over to Razz before methodically wrapping the duct tape around Razz and the underside of the bed.  He probably used far more than necessary, covering Razz from his clavicle to his hip bones in rows of duct tape. Even with magic, this would be a pain in the ass to get out of. Thank the stars he had listened to blue and put his mattress on a box spring. With a grin, Stretch put the duct tape back in his drawer and short-cutted to Muffet’s.

 ***

Slim

 He knew he wasn’t allowed to do it, but he couldn’t just sit in this bed and heal the old-fashioned way. He had to be able to walk, and he had to be able to walk _now._ He needed to find his lord. His lord would understand why he disobeyed.

 …

 Okay, no, he wouldn’t. But, Slim was willing to deal with the consequences. Ensuring his lord’s safety was far more important to Slim than the risk of punishment. He’d gladly take it if it meant his brother was safe.

 While Slim didn’t know the exact year he was currently in, these past versions of his lord and Muffet looked significantly better off than the present ones in his time period. Still that didn’t guarantee the human hadn’t started their resets here yet.

 And if the human was here, then his lord was in danger. Providing that his lord had travelled back in time with him that is. Slim had to look. He couldn’t afford to wait. He had to heal, right now. Slim hissed ignoring the pain flaring in his palms as he dug through his jacket pocket. Come on, _come on_. He had to have one on him. He froze, feeling the needle. He was about to take it out when the door slammed open making him jump.

 He looked at the door where Muffet stood her five eyes wide.

 “How did you-” She hissed looking at him and then behind her. “Impossible. . . “Muffet frowned.

 “Huh?” Slim asked eyeing her warily. He really wasn’t used to Muffet being so vocal around him.

 “You really aren’t Papyrus,” Muffet said softly.

 “I sort of am,” Slim said with a shrug.

 "I thought you and Sans were pranking me, but Papyrus is down the stairs in my cafe right now and you’re up here and your hurt and he’s _not_ ,” Muffet said. Slim stared silently at Muffet, hoping she would go away. Every second wasted was one where his lord could be dying for all Slim knew. Certainly, he was curious about meeting his past self, but it really could wait, besides, Blue had said he didn’t want his brother to know about Slim.

 “Yeah, not a prank,” Slim said when he realized Muffet expected him to say something.

 “I-” Muffet started and there was a bell like chime. Muffet sighed.

 “Duty calls? It’s okay Muff, you can make it up to me later,” Slim gave her a wink. She gave him a disgusted look before leaving, shutting the door behind her. Slim sighed feeling relieved. Slim gripped the needle in his pocket before pulling it out carefully.

 The plastic cover was still on, and the dark raspberry colored liquid remained inside. It hadn’t been broken during his fight with **_G a-%$_?_@=-ste-?r._** , thank the angel. Slim groaned at the migraine headache that exploded from thinking of the good doctor’s name. Right. He’d have to try and remember not to think about his name.

 Slim withdrew his soul carefully from his ribcage. The marigold organ shined brightly. Slim took in a slow breath, before taking the cap off the needle and injecting the PERSISTENCE into his soul. His breath quickened and his eyelights dilated. A rush of burning ice seared through him and he bit down the scream. He was used to this. He could handle this.

 His femur cracked as it knitted together, a scar remaining. His palms ached as fractures healed, and his pelvis, fuck, his pelvis, it felt like it was being stitched together with a thread made of squirming, biting fire ants. It sounded like someone was crinkling a paper bag as his pelvis worked its way together.

 Slim grabbed the pillow biting it and screaming his pain into it, praying to Toriel that Muffet and her patrons wouldn’t hear. As the burning cold (heh what an oxymoron) ache faded Slim’s breathing calmed. He shifted slightly standing up. His pelvis was cold and stiff, as was his femur, but they worked, and the ache had dulled down to a quiet throb.

 He put his soul back into his ribcage as it pounded. Slim closed his eyes. This was his favorite part. After the frostbite like hell, the good feelings came. _Power. Strength. Energy._ Slim adjusted his coat and unwound the bandages from his hand before he heard a shrill shriek from down the stairs. That sounded like Muffet.

 Slim growled. He didn’t have time for this. He had to find his lord.

 “STOP IT!” Muffet hollered.

 Fuck.

***

Stretch

Stretch sighed happily as he sunk into his normal seat at the dessert bar. She also served alcohol, which was his primary objective. Upon seeing him Muffet took in a sharp breath and frowned.

 “What are you doing down here?” Muffet demanded, two arms landing on her hips.

 “Wanted the usual,” Stretch said giving his best smile. “I’ll pay that tab soon, I swear.” His tab was quite the growing monstrosity. Muffet squinted at him, and grabbed his hand.

 “Uh?” Stretch said as the spider flipped it over looking at his palms. “Muffet?”

 “I’ll be right back, excuse me, Papyrus,” Muffet said before she swiftly walked through the employee’s only door. Stretch blinked his sockets after her. She hadn’t fetched him his drink, or honey. Stretch drummed his phalanges against the bar countertop cracking jokes with the drunken dog and fish person waiting for Muffet to come back.

 The door opened with a chime and a yandere plane glided in. Stretch sighed, not one of these guys. They mostly stayed in Hotland, but occasionally they made their way to Snowdin, particularly if someone they were infatuated with lived there.

 “Sorry Paps,” Muffet said with an apologetic smile walking back in through the door.

 “You okay?” Stretch asked with a frown. Muffet looked kind of off, like she was confused, surprised, and unsure what to do with herself.

 “Yeah, I-”

 “Muffet!” Yandere Plane hissed. The plane glided over, its wing pushing her against her own bar.

 “Ugh! Not _you_ again!” Muffet growled. Stretch tensed, summoning his magic. He knew yandere plane monsters could be very defensive and sometimes violent over not only their partners, but people they _thought_ were their partners. Often people who were complete strangers and had interacted with the planes very rarely became victims of the yandere’s sick intense love.

“Yandere Plane I served you pie last month. We aren’t together. I’m not ‘yours’. I wasn’t flirting. I sell pastries. Please, go away,” Muffet sighed.

 “This guy been bothering you Muff?” Stretch asked feeling one eye light turn orange.

 “Don’t you speak to my woman!” Yandere plane hissed and he released a spray of orange fireballs towards Stretch. Stretch rolled his eyelights and teleported to the left, the flames missing. Muffet shrieked in anger before launching several spiders at the plane.

 “Get out!” Muffet said, her eyelights turning purple with magic. Stretch chuckled. He hadn’t seen Muffet this worked up in a while.

 “Don’t be difficult my love. Come now, let’s go home,” The plane said, the plane’s windows steamed, and a faint blush dusted them. Stretch scowled. What a creep.

 “Hell no!” Muffet growled.

 “You will be mine!” Another flurry of flames was released this time towards Muffet. Muffet growled ducking under the flames as they sailed harmlessly over her head.

 “STOP IT!” she roared her eyes flashing dangerously. “Before I feed you to my pet!” Stretch almost felt bad for Yandere plane. Muffet’s pet was terrifying to behold. Well, in Stretch’s opinion at least.

 “My love, don’t be like that,” the plane practically pouted.

 “I am _not_ your love!” Muffet said, gathering her magic giving the plane a withering look, sending more spiders at him. The plane snarled, releasing missiles and flames at Muffet before a large, teal colored bone with a sharp edge slammed into Yandere plane, pinning his wing to the wall. The plane screamed.

 “Are you bothering _my_ girl?”

 Stretch blanched. He knew that voice. It was his voice, maybe slightly lower, and a lot more serious.  Stretch tore his sockets away from the plane to the employee's only door. Leaning in the doorway was a mirror image of Stretch more or less. The skeleton had a cigarette hanging out of his mouth, a golden tooth flashed at Stretch and the skeleton's hands were in his black leather jacket pockets. To a stranger, he might have even looked carefree, relaxed. But Stretch could see the tenseness in his double’s shoulders, and the serious expression on his face. One socket went out the other glowing the same teal color as the monster’s bone.

 "Slim! What are you doing! Get back in bed you're going to hurt yourself!” Muffet hissed looking worried. Stretch raised a brow bone looking from ‘Slim’ to Muffet. What the heck was going on here?

 “H-how dare you!” Yandere plane growled. Slim gave a half smirk, it made his copy look incredibly smug. Stretch bristled as the other’s magic pulsed. That was a _lot_ of magic Slim had at the ready. He didn’t need it. Yandere was already incapacitated. This was clearly Razz’s brother though. If Razz was a hot head, it would make sense his Papyrus was too. Stretch would need to interfere in case his double tried anything.

 “Slim!” Muffet hissed.

 “I’m fine, Muff.” Slim rolled his eyelights, flicking his wrist and the bone pinning Yandere plane to the wall disappeared. Stretch felt his socket twitch at the casual pet name Slim had given Muffet. There was no way they were that close, right? Stretch had only found Razz a few hours ago, so Slim couldn’t have been here much longer, right?

 Slim’s lone green burning eyelight landed on the plane monster. “Get out.” He growled.

 “She’s mine! How dare you! I won't let you get away with this!” Yandere growled sending a flurry of flames at Slim. Slim dodged them easily, with what appeared to be the same teleporting powers Stretch had. Slim’s sockets narrowed before the sound of Gaster Blaster’s met Stretch’s hearing.

 “No! Don’t!” Stretch yelled blinking up at two dragon like skulls. They both matched their owner, with a golden tooth and one eye glowing teal. Their maws opened wide and beams of energy shot into Yandere plane. When the lightshow faded, all that remained of Yandere was a pile of dust. Stretch swallowed hard. He thought he had grown immune to watching monster's die. Hell Chara made dusting monsters a regular weekly occurance. But he had never seen a monster dust antoher monster. Nevermind the fact that monster had his face, and his blasters.

 Stretch fought down a wave of nausea and he slowly looked at Slim, who was grinning, looking very pleased with himself. And here Stretch thought _Razz_ was the dangerous one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *sighs looking at Muffet's destroyed bar from Slim's gaster blasters* Come on [Slim](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUDgJ_D0Fxg) we've talked about this!
> 
> Fun fact, the chapter was only in Stretch and Slim's perspectives! Also I based Yandere Plane on in game Tusundre Plane. I was like hmm what's the swapped version of that!? I came up with yandere. 
> 
> This chapter was short and I have the next few days off so I hope to get an extra chapter out before tuesday! :)


	5. Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stretch and Slim exchange some words and Razz decide he wants to kick things up a notch. 
> 
> AKA 
> 
> Razz and Slim’s "fluffy" brotherly reunion.
> 
> AKA 
> 
> R.I.P. SLIM

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHOOOOOPS! I am SO sorry this is almost a week late. BUT THE GOOD NEWS is that you're still getting an update on Tuesday. ON TIME this time. I swear. 
> 
> Razz locked me in my room and wont let me out until the chapter's finished, SO. 
> 
> This chapter is a lot of set up and world building, but there's some dialogue sprinkled here and there.
> 
> As always, thank you all so much for the kudos, comments, and bookmarks, it means so much to me!!!

***

Slim

Muffet covered her mouth with one of her six hands looking horrified. The entire cafe was completely silent. The monsters’ expressions ranged from shock, nausea, and fear.  Slim’s, well what was he, copy? Past version? Whatever he was, was staring at Slim like Slim had grown another head. Slim snorted. It was just a monster dusting, why was everyone acting like this?

Muffet should be _thanking_ him. Not staring at Slim as if he had lit her family members on fire. Slim took a slow hit of his cigarette, letting the smoke billow out of his sockets. It did nothing to calm the energy within him. It felt like pure lightning was crackling through his bones. The PERSISTENCE did that, never mind the EXP high from killing the dumb yandere monster.

“What the hell man,” Papyrus breathed out slowly, after a moment, looking wary.

“Your welcome,” Slim shrugged, and he noted the anger that flashed across Papyrus’s features.

“You just killed someone!” Papyrus hissed. He stood up approaching Slim stopping a foot in front of him. The cafe patrons watched silently.

“So?” Slim blinked. He knew this was the past and it appeared as if things hadn’t gone to shit yet, so dusting wasn’t normal yet, but at the moment, Slim could care less.  His entire body was humming with cold electricity and he needed to find his lord. Or fight. Or fuck. Slim shot Muffet a wink and she stared at him as if she were seeing Slim for the first time and not at all liking what she saw. Slim looked away, she’d warm up. Slim stepped around his double and walked out the door.

The sight of the town stopped Slim in his tracks. This was how Snowdin _used_ to look. He had forgotten it had been this beautiful. The cottages were cheerfully bright with colored decorations and wreaths. monsters were walking around peacefully, laughing and joking. In the center of town was a Gyftmas tree with presents underneath.

“Holy shit,” Slim breathed taking it all in. He didn’t think he’d ever see the town like this again. The town before the houses were boarded up, burned down, or refortified. Before the whipping post was built in the town center, before the execution ring was created, and before the magic tolls were set up. Slim stood completely still. He was afraid to blink, or look away, as if it would make the sight of the cheerful snowy village go away. How many years had it been since his home was like this?

_Too many._

“Hey!” a copy of Slim’s voice growled and Slim turned to see his younger self storming out of the bar.  “Where do you think you’re going!?” Papyrus demanded.

“To find milord,” Slim drawled lazily, arching a single browbone at his other self. Papyrus looked stunned.

“... _Who_!?” Papyrus demanded.

“My lord,” Slim repeated his green tinted eyelights flicking away from Papyrus and going back to scanning the town fondly.

“I don’t know who that is. Do you mean the missing king? Whatever it doesn’t matter. Look man, I get that you seem to come from a pretty violent place, but, you can’t do that!” Papyrus said sternly. It almost made Slim laugh. He hadn’t realized his voice was even capable of sounding stern, but somehow, this other Papyrus managed it.

“I’m not lookin’ for the king, and I can’t do what?” Slim asked and he frowned down at the butt of his cigarette, it was all that was left. Gone too soon little friend.

“You can’t kill people!” Papyrus hissed. Slim felt a cold energy vibrate in his soul as he dropped the cigarette butt into the snow and crushed it beneath his sneaker. So, Papyrus wanted to play, eh? Good.

“Heh, and, what, _you’re_ going to stop me?” Slim drawled, one eyelight disappearing, the other burning green.

Papyrus scowled.  “Yes.”

***

Razz

If he ever got out of this fucking duct tape prison he was going to make Stretch eat it. That’s what he was calling this universe’s Papyrus. Stretch. Because it was no _stretch_ of the imagination the long list of tortures he was plotting for that menace of a skeleton. Yes, that was a fucking pun. He didn’t even care. His brother would have loved it.

“ARGH!” Razz snarled thrashing against the sticky restraints. He wasn’t even sure how long he had been asleep, but he was feeling better already. Perks to be the Malicious Sans. Razz summoned a light blue femur bone with a jagged edge. It floated above him for a moment before he directed it to the duct tape across his chest. It sliced through the duct tape like butter and Razz sat up with a growl. Razz’s eyelights scanned the room in search of his chest armor.

Razz found his armor in the corner of the room. It was seriously damaged. The stupid goop monster who had attacked them would pay for the destruction of the Malicious Sans’s property. What the fuck was he supposed to wear? This asshole clone of his brother’s shirt? The Blueberry’s ridiculous clothes? Razz couldn’t go out like this. He scowled down at the blue tank top.

Razz tore open Stretch’s closet scowling at the number of tank-tops with stupid phrases, four identical orange hoodies, and an abomination of an ugly Christmas sweater. Razz growled softly tugging on his boots and adjusting his shorts. He thanked the stars that Stretch had left Razz’s shorts on during the healing process, at least, he hoped they hadn’t been taken off. Razz really didn’t like the idea of Stretch ogling his bare pelvis. He already had issues with the realization that Stretch had taken his chest plate off and had had his unworthy hands all over Razz’s ribs. Razz shuddered.

Razz tore open Stretch’s door and stared at the pastel colors that adorned the hallway. Disgusting. He hated these colors. They reminded him of how things _used_ to be. Those days were dead and gone and Razz had taken it upon himself to repaint the walls at home to black and red, like his armor. Razz stomped down the stairs and glanced in the kitchen. 9 PM? That meant nothing to him, he didn’t know what time it was when he had fallen asleep. It could have been one hour or six hours for all Razz knew. Razz growled stomping down the stairs.

It seemed as if the house was empty. These were seriously lazy kidnappers to leave him unattended to. Razz scoffed. He’d teach them for thinking they could just ignore their prisoner. He opened the front door and he took in a sharp breath. The artificial lights were dimmed, for the night, and distantly above them were the twinkles of stalactite, like poor copies of stars. The houses around were cheerfully decorated (including the one he had just stepped out of which had colored lights). Razz really _was_ in a different world, but a familiar one. This so easily could have been his home years ago. Something foreign panged in Razz’s chest. Razz frowned trying to identify the strange feeling. It went away as quickly as it had appeared, and Razz decided to not think about it. He should be looking for his brother, or Stretch, so he could knock his teeth out.

The town was quiet, and no one seemed to be out at this time of night except for him. He began exploring, touching a wreath on a door here, frowning at a decorated tree with ornaments there, before he heard yelling and the sound of a blaster. Razz froze for a second. A blaster meant Papyrus. Probably this world’s Papyrus, but maybe, just maybe, _his_ Papyrus.

Razz summoned his magic, so he could make an attack at a moment’s notice if need be and followed the sounds, as the fog and falling snow cleared slightly, he could see two figures battling in the distance in front of Muffet’s. Muffet’s was a royal purple color, with cupcake designs adorning the windows. Much different from their world’s Muffet’s. Razz frowned at it before walking forward, taking in the two fighting monsters.

One was definitely this world’s Papyrus. That ridiculous bright ass orange hoodie stood out even in the dark and Razz watched him duck as a teal beam of pure energy blasted at him. Razz moved quickly, quietly, his ice eyelights landing on the second figure; his Papyrus.  His brother was grinning wide, too wide. His brother’s eyelights were the same teal color as his magic. Three blasters hovered above him, their unnatural light reflecting off the snow.

Razz let out a breath he hadn’t realized he had been holding. Papyrus was okay. Papyrus was safe. Razz was going to fucking kill him.

“You need to stop!” Stretch yelled and he dodged as Slim’s three blasters fired. Slim laughed, a manic, barking laugh.

“What, I thought you were gonna stop me. Well go on, stop me!” Slim drawled his tone light and flippant. He was clearly having a great time.

“You dusted someone man! I don’t want to hurt you, but you need to back off!” Stretch growled and a single orange eyelight lit up the skeleton’s face, the right socket going black. A series of bones launched at Slim and one of Stretch’s blasters appeared, shooting a beam of white energy at Slim. Slim dodged all of the attacks with a chuckle, teleporting and running to avoid getting hit.

“Just get out of my way. I can’t risk killing you, but that doesn’t mean I won’t hurt you,” Slim spat and he grinned again with a wide and hungry look in his unnaturally colored eyelights. Razz crossed his arms taking in a slow calming breath. Of course, the fucking idiot had taken star damned PERSISTENCE. The unnatural substance always made Slim a little wild.

Okay. A lot wild. Razz had found his mutt, very much acting the part of a rabid dog. Well, Razz knew how to deal with bad dogs. He stormed forward scowling, his fists clenched at his side.

“Papyrus! _Heel_.” Razz snarled coming to a stop just before the two Papyrus’s. Both of them turned and stared at Razz, one with relieved excitement and the other with shock and worry.

“Oh shit,” Stretch groaned, his white eyelights returning. “How the hell are you walking around!? Your spine and ribs are broken!”

“Milord!” Slim cried happily his blasters disappearing. Slim ran forward arms extended, in some persistence induced delusional plan to scoop Razz up and hug him. Hell, no was Razz letting _that_ happen.

“You fucking idiot!” Razz growled, swinging his leg into Slim’s as he advanced towards him. The kick was hard enough to trip the taller skeleton and Slim fell face first into the snow in front of Razz. Razz bit down a chuckle. Stretch watched warily, looking as if he were unsure what to do or how to react.

“Get up!” Razz snapped kicking his brother’s side and Slim quickly began pulling himself out of the snow. He was on his knees when Razz cracked the back of his hand across Slim’s unsuspecting cheekbone, hard enough for Slim’s head to turn from the blow.

Stretch inhaled sharply in shock, but Slim gave no reaction, other than ducking his head slightly and going completely still. Razz stared at Slim furiously.

“M’ sorry,” Slim said softly. “I-I didn’t mean to take us here. I was just trying to get us out of there alive,” Slim spoke to the snow, his eyelights cast down. Cold fury burned through Razz, and he had to fight down the frigid magic misting from his sockets.

“I’m not mad about _that_! What the fuck do you think you're doing taking that shit!? Didn’t I tell you to only take it as a last resort!?” Slim’s teal eyes flickered to Razz and seeing his expression they went back to being glued to the snow.

“I-it _was_ an emergency milord. I needed to find you! I didn’t know if you were hurt or dus-” Slim’s voice cracked slightly over the word, “o-or something, and I couldn’t get out of bed, my femur and pelvis were broken.” Slim’s gaze never left the snow.

Razz growled as another burst of rage burned through him, this time, not at Slim, but at the monster who had attacked them. At the monster who had dared break _what was his._ Razz’s glacial eyelights landed on Stretch who was standing there looking lost.

Stretch knew something about the bastard who attacked Razz and Slim, he knew enough to have a star damned panic attack when Razz described the monster. Why wouldn’t Stretch tell him about the monster!? Razz needed to understand this opponent if he was going to successfully dust him. The monster had been fast, and smart, and seemed to know every move Razz was going to make before Razz made it.

Razz’s sockets narrowed at Stretch. Razz would find a way to get the truth out of him, after all, Razz was pretty creative when it came to torture.  Razz’s eyelights landed back on Slim who was trembling slightly, now staring at Razz’s boots. Razz grabbed Slim’s chin forcing his brother to look up.

“Are you still hurt anywhere?” Razz demanded.

“No milord, it healed everything,” Slim said his eyelights darting away from Razz’s intense gaze. Persistence did have an impressive healing capability. “Are you okay my lord?” Slim asked softly, still avoiding looking at Razz, “you were really injured when I teleported.” Gold flecks shined through the teal worried eyelights that finally met Razz. It seemed the persistence was burning out. Good. Slim was a loose cannon when high on that shit. Razz supposed he should be thankful there wasn’t a trail of dust from the whole ordeal.

“I’m fine,” Razz growled a single finger traced his brother’s jaw line.

“Yeah, and how is that? You had a broken spine and ribcage four hours ago,” Stretch said giving Razz an incredulous look. Slim nuzzled slightly into Razz’s palm as Razz gently stroked his brother’s jaw. Razz huffed at Stretch and he scratched under his brother’s chin, like he was well, a dog.

“I have an impressive natural healing rate, don’t you agree?” Razz said drawing his hand back from his brother who whined. Razz closed the distance between himself and Stretch almost instantly. Razz was disappointed when the copy of his brother didn’t flinch back. Well, he’d learn.

“You. You know about the monster who attacked us. Tell me about him,” Razz growled. Slim made a strangled noise in the back of his throat.

“Milord, how would he know about a monster from our time?” Slim said quickly, his voice higher than usual. Razz narrowed his sockets towards his brother. Did his brother know something about their attacker too?

"Because when I described the attacker, he freaked out,” Razz said gesturing towards Stretch. Slim blinked in surprise.

“You two know each other!?” Slim demanded.

“He found me in Snowdin forest, took me prisoner, and violated my wounds,” Razz scoffed.

“Your welcome for setting your bones, and helping you, jackass,” Stretch muttered. Slim blinked again, owlishly.

“Why didn’t Blue tell me?” Slim asked softly.

“Blue?” Stretch tilted his head.

“The other version of milord,” Slim said. Stretch’s eyelights shrank.

“Wait! When did you - how do you know my brother!?” Stretch demanded.

“He came by Muffet’s earlier, when I was still hurt. Blue told Muffet to keep me a secret from you,” Slim nodded at Stretch, “something about you being a delicate flower,” Slim shrugged with a smug look.

“That fucking Blueberry hid you from me!” Razz snarled, anger boiling from his soul.

“Don’t hurt him! He’s you!” Slim said quickly sockets widening. Razz scowled at Slim, before turning away from Stretch, and he held out palm changing Slim’s soul blue, slamming his brother into the ground.

“Ah!” Slim yelped.

“How dare you tell me what to do you useless mutt!” Razz yelled. Slim cringed as Razz marched towards him.  

“Holy shit, calm down,” Stretch said. Razz’s furious glare turned towards Stretch before Stretch too slammed into the ground with a blue soul.

“Stretch, why in the underground would you think I’d allow _you_ to tell me what to do when I don’t even let _the dog_ do it?” Razz demanded. Stretch’s reply was muffled into gibberish from his mouth full of snow.  

“So now that I have both of your attention,” Razz drawled lifting both skeletons off the ground easily with his magic before slamming them back down. Two groans rang out. “Mutt, dogs are to speak when commanded to. Stretch, start talking. What do you know about the attacker?” Razz snapped.

“...why are you calling me Stretch?” Stretch asked.

“Huh, that doesn’t _sound_ like an answer to my question,” Razz drawled sarcasm dripping from his voice and he flicked his wrist causing Stretch to rise even further into the air before crashing hard against the snow. Razz kept a steady eye on Stretch's dismal 1 HP, it didn’t' so much as waver, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt. “Why the fuck do you call me Razz?”

“You let young me call you the name Razz!?” Slim demanded before his eyelights disappeared and he covered his mouth. Razz scowled at his brother. Slim was USUALLY very good at obeying orders, but, persistence always made him into a bad dog. Razz gave Slim an unimpressed look before walking over to him, making sure to hold Stretch tight with his blue magic.

Slim shivered slightly looking anywhere but at Razz. “sorry milord,” Slim mumbled quickly.

 _Yeah_ , Razz thought, _he was about to be **very** sorry. _ Razz began summoning his magic, when something large and yellow barreled into him with a roar. Razz shrieked in indignation as an armored yellow lizard released a battle cry, shoving him hard against Muffet’s front door, the blow causing his spine to ache in protest and a squeak of surprise to come from the other side of the cafe door.

Had Razz’s ribs and spine not healed on their own, he was certain this overgrown lizard could have killed him. As it was his spine and ribs were still tender, and his bones twinged from the rough treatment. Razz snarled viciously, summoning his magic, glaring, face to face with this world’s Alphys. This version of Alphys lacked the two scars over her left eye, and the scar on her neck that adorned his second in command.

“Papy!” Blue’s voice rang out. Razz peered over Alphys’s shoulder, watched Blueberry kneeling next to Stretch with worry.

“You better not have hurt Papyrus you little punk!” Alphys growled pushing Razz harder into the door.  Razz scowled at her his eyelights meeting her dark eyes. So, she wanted to play? Razz briefly looked to Slim, who’s eyelights had disappeared. Razz grinned. Didn’t Alphys know dogs were more fun to play with? Razz chuckled darkly, taking the blue spell off of Slim. Slim jumped forward with more speed than even Razz expected, and Razz watched as Slim snarled at Alphys, three teal eyed gaster blaster’s appearing above him, aimed at the yellow lizard

“How _dare_ you touch him!” Slim snarled voice full of ire. Alphys glanced over her shoulder at the enraged skeleton, her eyes widening.

“Listen other Papyrus, he was about to hurt you! He was hurting Papyrus!” Alphys growled out and her beady eyes fell on Blue who had pulled Stretch into a sitting position, having his older brother lean against the short skeleton. “Seriously Blue your gonna explain this shit later,” Alphys muttered.

“Language!” Blue gasped.  Before Alphys could reply a series of bones launched at Alphys from Slim’s outstretched hand. Alphys released her grip on Razz in order to dodge, and Razz reflected the bones back with his magic easily. Now that Alphys no longer had Razz in her filthy claws, it was safe for Slim’s blasters to attack the lizard captain. The blasters hummed as 3 balls of blue-green energy built in their massive jaws.

“Stop, stop, stop!” Blue cried and he ran in front of Alphys holding up his hands in a passive gesture at Slim.

“Sans!” Stretch yelled sockets unbelievably wide.

“Blue, no! Get out of here! Help your brother!” Alphys hissed, drawing her axe out of its holster. Blue swallowed looking up at the three leering blasters their jaws still open wide with the teal energy balls growing even more massive. Slim froze, his eyelights shrinking and the blasters faded from existence. Razz all but choked.

 _**What!?** What did he think he was doing!? _ Razz growled under his breath.

“MUTT!” Razz yelled. “JUST BLAST THROUGH THE BLUE IDIOT AND KILL THAT YELLOW BITCH. KILL THEM BOTH!” Razz ordered.

“What? No!” Stretch cried from his spot in the snow, still glued to the ground by Razz’s magic.

***

Stretch

Stretch didn’t know how something so intense could feel so surreal. It was as if Stretch couldn’t process what was happening. First, he had gotten in a fight with his double, after the murder of yandere plane, then Razz appeared like some kind of demon. Sure, he had set Razz’s ribs but there was _no way_ the short skeleton should be walking around. It was impossible.

Or it should have been. And now Stretch was stuck to the star damned ground while Blue put himself between Alphys and his deranged double. Honestly Stretch wasn’t sure who was more dangerous, The other Papyrus or the other Sans. They both were completely unhinged. Blue needed to get out of there.

“Blue stop! Come over here!” Stretch yelled, trying to give his little brother his sternest look. Blue gave him a sheepish smile but didn’t move an inch.

“Kill them, you idiot!” Razz snarled again, cyan mist was billowing from his sockets. He looked, well, terrifying. Stretch would have never attributed that word to his brother, but this version of his brother, was completely terrifying. Slim stood frozen staring at Blue before hesitantly looking at Razz.

“I c-cant kill him! He’s y-you milord!” Slim said looking pale and small. Slim’s voice was soft and his eyelights flickered, gold shined through the teal color until golden eyelights were all that remained. Stretch frowned. What the hell was that about? How did he change his eyelights like that?

Razz facepalmed and sighed.

“You imbecile! He’s a _version_ of me. Now kill him and that good for nothing lizard!” Razz snapped his voice harsh. Alphys who had been apparently frozen bristled at this and turned towards Razz gripping her axe tightly. Slim swallowed hard, sweat appearing on his skull. Blue frowned at Razz, then gave Slim a small, patient smile.

“Milord you don’t understand, if I kill him it could kill you! I don't think he's a version of you, I think he is you, in the past,” Slim said softly, looking like speaking physically pained him and he flinched as Razz growled.

“I suppose if I want to murder people the right way, I have to do it myself,” Razz grumbled turning away from Slim before he materialized a long cyan whip with his magic. He moved with an impressive speed, bypassing Blue and cracking the whip at Alphys. The long material wrapped around her throat, and Razz pulled hard. Alphys made a strangled noise crashing into the snow.

“Let’s see if I can pop that big stupid head of yours off,” Razz drawled pulling the whip towards him hard, and it tightened around her throat dragging her slightly. Alphys choked, pulling against the magic hard before she slammed her axe down slicing the magic whip. It burst into blue dust and Alphys gasped for air as the magic disintegrated. Razz laughed his ice eyelights sparkling with mirth.

“Well you're smarter than _my_ Alphys at any rate,” Razz drawled, holding his hands out palms up. A large bone scythe appeared, and he gripped it tightly before he charged at the recovering captain. Stretch winced at the sound of bone against metal as Alphys blocked the skeleton’s blow with her axe, sweat pouring from her brow.

Stretch sighed in relief as the blue hold on his soul faded. Razz’s concentration must have broken from the fight. Stretch ran to Blue.

“Don’t ever do that again!” Stretch hissed hugging his brother tightly. “He could have killed you!”

Blue hugged him back looking ashamed. “Slim wouldn’t hurt me, I know it,” Blue said softly. Slim nodded in agreement but Stretch flipped him off, clinging to his brother, half a mind to teleport the both of them out of this crazy situation, but he couldn’t leave Alphys alone with these two maniacs.

Razz jumped back, avoiding being sliced in half by Alphys's great war axe with a growl. Alphys roared and ran at the skeleton swinging again and Razz barely blocked it with his axe and she skidded back. Slim twitched and paced watching the fight intensely while Stretch still held his brother who protested with a loud whine.

“I’m not a baby bones! Put me down! I can’t see!” Blue scoffed.

“You're good at offense but not defense!” Alphys said a smug look appearing on her face as she taunted Razz.

“I don’t need to be good at defense when I have a _guard dog_ ,” Razz growled. Both of the warriors briefly looked at Slim who’s sockets narrowed at Alphys. Blue wasn’t in his way anymore. Razz glanced at Blue who was struggling to get out of Stretch’s hold on him.

Slim chuckled softly before raising his hand a stream of bones launching at Alphys causing her to draw back, giving Razz the chance to attack again.

“Slim, no, stop!” Blue wiggled free of Stretch’s grasp and grabbed Slim’s hand and the taller skeleton flinched as if struck his eyelights going out.

“Sans!” Stretch hissed. He knew Slim hadn’t hurt Blue yet, but that didn’t mean he won't!

“No more fighting! All of you! Razz all we’ve done is try and _help_ you! We didn’t take you prisoner, we saved you, so stop fighting, and let us help you.  Alphys, please, stop,” Blue pleaded. Razz’s sockets narrowed at Blue.

“I neither asked nor needed your ‘help’” Razz growled. His eyelights darted to Alphys. “And this bitch attacked me. I’m dusting her and anyone who tries and stand in my way!”

“You wanted to know about the monster who attacked you, didn’t you? If you stop throwing a star damned tantrum, I’ll tell you about him.” Stretch said, gritting his teeth. He was going to regret this, but if it would get Razz to stop, it’d be worth it.  Slim shot Stretch a panicked look shaking his head furiously at him which Stretch ignored. Razz’s eyelights landed on his brother and Slim became much more interested in Blue’s boots.

“. . . fine,” Razz huffed looking between Stretch and Slim with a tight scowl. His bone scythe disappeared and he eyed Alphys.

“The malicious Sans has gracefully spared you after your incompetent, pathetic and complete failure in battle,” Razz drawled. Alphys snarled her entire face going red in anger.

“ _What_!?” Alphys shrieked raising her axe.

Blue looked like had swallowed a lemon at Razz’s words and Alphys roared and charged at the short, mentally unstable, skeleton wielding her axe high above her head.  

“Alphys! No!” Blue begged. Alphys ignored him and Razz watched looking bored as she ran at him and swung her axe. He blocked it with a conjured shield of bones and yawned, giving her a smug look. Alphys snarled and attacked again and again, not giving up.

Razz really was shit at defense, Stretch realized. The bone shield shattered, and the axe hit, imbedding deep into the small skeleton’s clavicle. Razz grunted his eyelights shrinking slightly.

“Milord!” Slim yelled and he rushed forwards, a golden eyed blaster appearing, that shot a beam of pure energy at Alphys.

**-200 HP**

**X 1 KR**

**-200 HP**

Alphys shrieked as the light faded, steam rising off her in waves as 400 HP drained from her. That was a hard hit and Stretch winced. What was that second HP loss? What was with the KR? Was that like Stretch’s KR ability? It didn’t seem to be the same ability. As far as he could tell it doubled the HP loss, but why? How? He seemed to be the only one who noticed it, then again, Blue and Alphys couldn’t read code outside of checks.

Alphys growled at Slim before charging at him instead of Razz, she was forced to swerve out of the way however as Razz released a barrage of cyan pointed femur bones towards her.

“Alphys, hurting him could hurt me!” Blue said and Alphys froze.

“That’s real? I thought the other Papyrus was just saying that to protect you,” Alphys said looking unsure. Stretch glanced at Blue. If they could convince Razz that killing them would kill Razz and Slim they might have a chance. His brother was a genius sometimes. Heck he already seemed to have Slim somehow believing it.

“It’s real,” Blue said firmly. Alphys lowered her axe, grumbling under her breath. “Fine.”  Blue sighed in relief.

“You know,” Razz drawled his eyelights flashing as he glared intensely at Alphys. “I have a strict spare once only policy.” Razz’s bone scythe reappeared, and it sliced across the unsuspecting captain.

**-200 HP**

Alphys yelped and jumped back, but Razz swung again, and again, not letting her get her turn in at all. He was cheating.

**-200 HP**

**-200 HP**

**-200 HP**

A horrible cracking sound assaulted their ears, and Alphys fell to her knees, blood trickling from her respective wounds.

Stretch choked. This was impossible! How did Razz skip her turn!? Stretch’s soul dropped as Alphys’s form began to shift, like she was fading away, falling apart. _Dusting._ Stretch felt his soul sink, realizing that was the sound he had heard. Her soul had cracked.

Alphys was dusting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> . . .
> 
> So, aren't you glad now you only have to wait like 2 days for the next chapter? :D
> 
> So [Razz](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9NStVkSCuk) has some serious anger issues guys, thinking he needs anger management, most definitely! ;)


	6. Dust to dust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone gets their ass handed to them. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't find a good place to end this chapter so welcome to our longest chapter so far!
> 
> LATE! SO LATE! I'm so sorry! Razz is VERY displeased. (please help me! SOS! Send the national guard! Send the United Nations's armies! HALP)
> 
> IT'S FINALS WEEK. BLAME FINALS WEEK!

***

Blue

 “Alphys!” Blue yelled his sockets going incredibly wide. This wasn’t happening. _This couldn’t be happening!_

 “H-how did you,” Alphys breathed, panting hard. “I-impossible! You-!?” Alphys hissed, her black eyes boring into Razz. Razz cocked his skull to the side and chuckled darkly. Alphys’s entire form shifted again, staticky, falling apart. Blue closed his sockets, not wanting to believe what he was seeing.

 “No! No! I REFUSE!” Alphys snarled. Blue opened his eyes cautiously. Alphys entire form was a blur. Blue felt his sockets prickle with tears. Alphys roared a battle cry before she reappeared her pieces coming back together. She was panting hard and Blue noted that her armor had somehow changed. The captain’s armor was sharper, leaner, and a red soul symbol adorned the chest piece. There was a look of cold determination in her eyes.

 “Oh, thank the stars Alphys!” Blue said relief flooding his soul. Even Papy looked relieved, his shoulders sagging some.

 “You’re going to have to try a little harder than that!” Alphys snarled at Razz, her left eye lit up a bright red color.

 “What the fuck is this shit!?” Razz demanded his eyelights shrinking in surprise. Alphys roared wielding double axes before she slammed both of them into the stunned short skeleton.

 “M'lord!” Slim cried as Razz landed ungracefully in the snow on his spine with a yelp. Marrow leaked from where the axes were embedded, one in his clavicle the other in his hipbone. The short skeleton was sprawled out in the snow growling up at the captain of the guard. Razz yanked at the two weapons, hard, out of his bones with not so much as a grimace before the weapons turned to yellow dust.

 That's when a series of magical yellow axes began launching at Razz from every direction. Blue winced, watching as more than half of the attacks broke through Razz’s attempts at blocking them, hitting him at full force. Alphys was right, Razz was _really bad_ at defense. Blue was too. Alphys was always having Blue work at his defense and praising his offense. Blue had never seen her axe attack move this fast, though. Had she been going easy on Blue this whole time!? The axes launched at Razz from all sides at an unforgiving, furious pace. Each one that hit shaved off HP and sliced bone. The snow was staining with Razz’s bright red marrow.

 Slim bristled with a growl, golden magic rising from his left eye, his right going blank.

 “I’ll fucking,” Razz panted hard, taking a wobbly step towards Alphys, “kill you, you undead freak!”

 “Milord,” Slim stood taut, he was poised and ready to attack. tugging on the red collar around his ‘neck’ nervously, sockets wide. He took a hesitant step towards Razz.

 “ _Stay,_ ” Razz ordered sharply. Slim frowned, the glow from his eyelight disappearing and his other eyelight returned. Slim tugged at the red collar around his neck nervously.

 Razz’s eyes went back to Alphys once Slim backed down.  “That’s it you freak!” Razz yelled at the captain and he charged _through_ the axe attacks she was sending out before slamming his bone scythe down on Alphys. Alphys blocked it with a broad yellow axe and slammed another one into Razz’s chest. Razz’s sockets widened, and he let out a strangled noise as the axe was met with several sickening cracks.

 Razz crashed into the ground panting heavily, his eyelights flickering in and out. Alphys huffed stomping towards him raising her axes and Razz groaned into the snow.

 Slim snarled and charged at Alphys his eyes misting the same golden color of his eyelights, a series of complex blue, red, and orange bone patterns launching at Alphys. Alphys maneuvered his attack well, barely any HP being taken away.

 “You want to go too?” Alphys growled summoning more axes. She turned Slim’s soul green. “Can’t dodge now!”

 “Alphys, please, no! Enough! All of you!” Blue scolded. Alphys gave Blue a disbelieving look and Slim glanced at Blue with worry. Razz made a sound that could have been a whimper from his place in the snow. Blue looked to Alphys. “Alphys, I’m really glad you're okay. I am so thankful! But you won, Razz is down! There’s no reason to keep fighting!” Blue said quickly.

 “You want me to spare him!?” Alphys demanded motioning to Razz, “He _killed_ me!” Alphys shrieked indignantly.

 “If I killed you, you’d be dead you stupid fucking amphibian.” Razz growled out clutching his ribcage. Slim eyed Alphys warily before he quickly ran over to Razz kneeling next to him.

 “M’lord, let me help,” Slim said and Razz shoved his brother back hard. “I’m fine, fuck off! Didn’t I tell you to stay!?” Slim avoided Razz’s eyelights and nervously shifted slightly away from his brother.

 “Alphys, are you saying you're going to kill another monster?” Blue demanded looking appalled, placing his hands on his hips. Alphys froze and sighed looking Blue in the eye. “I- no. Of course not. I’d never hurt-” Razz scoffed. “Kill a monster,” Alphys amended with a glare towards Razz, “unless I absolutely have to.”

 “Liar,” Razz hissed venomously. Alphys raised a single eyebrow.

 “I don’t know what it's like where _you're_ from. But if there’s another ‘me’ where that is, she _is not_ me! You don’t know me at all!” Alphys snapped. Razz’s cold eyes regarded Alphys contemplatively.

 Blue smiled at Alphys and she slowly let her magical axes dissipate. “Are you okay Alphys?” Blue asked softly.

 “Heh, like that little wanna-be-sans could hurt me!” Alphys said smugly.

 “You cheated!” Razz snarled shoving Slim away again, who had reappeared at his brother’s side, hovering like an overbearing grandma.  

 “You’ll have to teach me how you did that captain!’ Blue said with an eager smile at Alphys, “I was so afraid you were going to d-” Blue choked on the word, and he looked away before looking back at Alphys. “I’m happy I was wrong,” Blue added softly.

 “It takes more than _that_ to dust me,” Alphys said firmly. Stretch stepped forwards, a cigarette hanging from his mouth with his hands stuffed in his pockets. Blue shot him a stern look.

 “Papy, that’s so unhealthy!” Blue huffed.

 “But it makes me look _smokin_ hot,” Stretch said with a lazy wink. Blue groaned. “What are we going to do about Rageberry and Slimdog,” Stretch asked.

 “We have to come to some kind of agreement with them,” Blue said with a sigh. “Their behavior is completely unacceptable,” Blue added watching the two darker brothers warily. Blue felt it had been the right call to try and keep Razz and Slim away from one another because this was an absolute mess. Slim was still hovering over Razz with worry and Blue watched as the tall skeleton hesitantly gripped Razz’s tank top.

 “Just let me see,” Slim said softly, pulling at Razz’s shirt.

“NEVER! Get the fuck off me!” Razz shrieked his boot crashing into Slim’s face. Slim yelped from the unexpected kick, falling back and Blue made a face. His suspicions of Razz’s treatment of Slim were starting to gain evidence. Blue had hoped to be wrong, but it seemed like Razz was violent towards Slim. Then again, Razz seemed violent with everyone.

“We could throw them in the queen’s dungeon,” Alphys suggested crossing her arms.  Razz flipped her off from the snow and Slim’s eyelights landed on her with a piercing gaze.

 “There’s an idea,” Stretch said sounding pleased.

 “NO! I mean, okay, maybe, if they keep acting like this but, we need to learn more about them. Where they’re from, how to get them home. I mean, _they’re us_ Papy,” Blue said, widening his sockets trying to look as cute as possible. Stretch sighed and Blue smirked. The big, blue, sad eyelights always worked.

 “Speaking of that, are either of you going to explain this crap?” Alphys demanded gesturing at the arguing pair of brothers.

 “GET OFF! OR I’LL BREAK EVERY BONE IN YOUR BODY YOU USELESS MUTT!” Razz’s shrieks cut through the air.

 Blue warily looked back at the two to see Slim had his brother pinned beneath him, straddling the smaller skeleton’s hips, trying to tear his tank top off and Razz was repeatedly punching Slim anywhere the smaller skeleton could reach.

 “I hate you!” Razz snarled.

 “B-but m’lord you need to be healed-” Slim all but whimpered.

“Well, Undyne could explain it to you better than me Alphys,” Stretch began. He eyed his double and Razz before looking back to Alphys. “Basically, there are countless versions of this world. They're called alternate dimensions or universes. Some are very similar to ours, nearly the same, you might not be able to tell the difference. Others are drastically different, and there’s countless versions in between. In one alternate universe your favorite color might be green instead of blue and that’s the _only_ difference. Others you might be a queen of the underground, or work at the inn, or you might be a bright red color instead of yellow, or whatever,” Stretch explained.

 “So, ‘Razz’ and ‘Slim’,” Alphys said slowly. “Aren’t freaks with your faces, they’re just asshole versions of you and Sans?” Alphys demanded.

 “That’s pretty much it yeah,” Stretch agreed.

 “Language!” Blue scolded Alphys. Alphys groaned from the reprimand and looked away.

 “This hurts my head,” Alphys groaned. “I’m definitely going to ask Undyne about this.”

“Good maybe she can help Razz and Slim get home before they murder each other,” Stretch muttered wincing as Razz cracked a large blue femur bone over his brother’s head. Blue frowned, when had Razz even summoned that!?

 “Okay, _enough_ , do I seriously have to separate you two!?” Stretch demanded turning both skeleton’s souls blue, sliding Slim away from Razz’s reach, and holding Razz still.

 “How dare you! Release me this instant you useless swine!” Razz snarled, and he threw the bone like club at Stretch’s head. Stretch, thankfully, and to Blue’s immense relief, dodged.

 “No,” Stretch said rolling his eyes. “Listen. We need to have a chat, because this is getting out of hand,” Stretch said eyeing the brothers. Razz crossed his arms, staring at Stretch as if he had just murdered his hamster and Slim sighed softly.

 “No more fighting, no more attacking, no more _killing,_ ” Stretch sighed.

 “SHE DIDN’T DIE!” Razz screamed gesturing at Alphys. If looks could kill, Razz would be a pile of dust from the look Alphys gave the short angry skeleton.

 “Not _you_ ,” Stretch said his eyelights leaving Razz and falling on Slim who looked at Stretch like a kicked puppy. Blue’s soul fell. Slim had killed someone? Blue didn’t know Slim all that well, but he didn’t seem like the type of person for violence. Disappointment towards the timid tall skeleton filled Blue’s soul.

 “He what!?” Alphys demanded.

 “Are you serious!?” Razz snarled, and he scowled at Slim who flinched.

 “I didn’t mean to, I was high!” Slim grumbled, barely audible. As if that were a perfectly acceptable excuse. Blue frowned. Had that been what had caused Slim’s eyes to turn that blue green color? It seemed whatever it was had worn off, or at least, the green-blue colors had.

 “THAT’S NO EXCUSE!” Razz growled. Blue was inclined to agree with his counterpart, for once. Blue was actually fairly surprised Razz was upset that Slim had killed someone, considering Razz’s recent behavior. Slim seemed to shrink into his fluffy jacket, almost cowering from Razz.

 “Papyrus, that other you killed someone!?” Alphys demanded her eyes widening. Stretch grit his teeth, a behavior Blue knew his brother did when he felt stressed.

 “Yeah, he did. A yandere plane was getting really aggressive at Muffet’s. I mean, honestly, Yandere attacked Muffet and Slim stopped him. Then Slim spared the yandere plane, and yandere plane attacked Slim after being spared. If Slim’s like me, he has 1 HP.  It was self-defense, don’t you think?” Stretch said softly. Blue blinked in surprise. He had _not_ expected Papy to defend Slim, but if that was what had happened, well, killing was still wrong, absolutely, but Blue could tell they came from a very different type of underground, and he understood the need to defend oneself.

 Slim looked just as surprised as Blue felt, his sockets wide and round, staring at Stretch like he had freed the entire monster race from the underground.

 “. . . Get these two under control Stretch, or I _will_ take them down,” Alphys said after a moment of silence. She gave Razz a disgusted look and she looked back at Stretch with a resigned sigh. “I’m going to go question Muffet,” Alphys said and she paused looking at Blue. “You did really well at training today,” She praised with a proud smile, causing Blue’s soul to swell with joy. Blue thanked the captain as she entered Muffet’s cafe, leaving the four skeleton brothers alone.

 Stretch turned his eyelights back on Slim. “No killing. Either of you. I mean it.  I get that you thought you were protecting Muffet, and you were apparently high on something? And obviously you two must come from a really violent universe,” Stretch said, glancing at Razz, “but we _don’t_ kill monsters here. Ever!” Stretch said sternly. Slim was silent, and his gaze turned to the snow. Razz huffed indignantly.

 “Guys, we have no intention of hurting either of you,” Blue added quickly. “Razz I know you think we somehow kidnapped you, but we didn’t, I promise. Papy found you half dead in the snow. We just want to help. That's why my brother tried to heal you Razz,” Blue said. Razz gave Blue a murderous look.

 “You hid my brother from me!” Razz growled at Blue and Blue swallowed hard. Well that was true, but Blue felt it was justified. Not that Razz would agree.

 “Well, he seemed really afraid of you! Why is your brother so afraid of you?” Blue demanded. _What do you do to him?_ The unasked question died on Blue’s tongue.

 “Of course, he was afraid, he knew he was in _deep shit_!” Razz growled furiously, and the short skeleton took his sharp heeled red boot off before throwing it at his lanky brother who yelped as the boot bounced off his head.

 “I’m sorry!” Slim said quickly. Both brothers were still trapped by Stretch’s blue attack, but that apparently didn’t stop Razz from launching projectiles. Blue cleared his throat to regain attention.

 “Plus, Slim was really hurt at the time and you were hurt too, and It seemed best to wait for you both to heal a little. How did you both heal so fast anyway?” Blue asked softly.

 “He took fucking persistence and I heal fast,” Razz explained, shifting slightly, and he hissed, one bony hand went towards his ribs before Razz clenched it into a fist. Razz scowled down towards his ribcage. Slim warily glanced at Blue from his hoodie.

 “What exactly is persistence?” Stretch asked with a frown.

 “A drug, dumbass.” Razz said. Stretch glared at Razz who gave him a shit eating grin and Slim snickered.

  “I mean, what does it do? I’ve never heard of it,” Stretch asked giving Razz a frustrated scowl.

 “Me either,” Blue agreed with a frown.

 “It’s like determination,” Razz said with a huff. Stretch froze dropping his cigarette.

 “Determination?” Blue asked softly.

 “Stretch knows what I’m talking about, don’t you Stretch?” Razz drawled his ice eyelights glinting maliciously.

 “Like, it’s a substance?” Blue asked looking at Stretch.

 “Sort of. Human souls have it. Monster souls don’t,” Stretch said quietly.

 “So, persistence is in human souls like this determination but not in monster souls?” Blue asked and he glanced at Slim, “and Slim is taking it!?” Blue didn’t honestly know a lot about soul traits. He knew his soul was blue and his trait was patience, and Papy was orange; bravery. He knew he had never heard of determination or persistence as soul traits.

 “No. Persistence is not a human trait. It’s just like determination in the sense that it keeps you ‘going’. Except it's safe for monsters where determination is not. Persistence acts as a stimulant. Gives you a boost.  It can heal fatal wounds, it amps you up, makes you strong, and it causes parts of your personality to hit extremes. It also makes you aggressive, of course. It makes the mutt kill, fuck, talk back, and annoy the shit out of me,” Razz explained giving Slim an unimpressed look. Slim looked away. Blue frowned thoughtfully. This was very strange. He glanced at Papy who looked very uneasy.

 “I took it to heal,” Slim defended himself softly.

 “I _don’t_ care!” Razz growled at his brother and Slim flinched. “Give me my fucking boot back!”

 “Are you going to throw it at me again?” Slim asked raising a brow bone.

 “Are you disobeying a direct order!?” Razz snarled.

 "No." Slim quickly tossed the sharp steel toed fashion statement back to Razz as if it burned him.

 “Okay,” Stretch said staring at Slim with a frown, “If Slim could stop taking his murder pill that’d be great, too,” Stretch drawled lighting up another cigarette.

 “Papy!” Blue scolded, frowning at the cigarette. Razz gave Stretch a disgusted look.

 “Wait what are the rules again?” Slim asked softly. Razz rolled his eyes at his brother and Stretch sighed.

 “So, to _clarify_ , One, you two are not going to attack anyone. Two you’re not going to take murder happy drugs, and three you aren’t going to kill anyone. We are all going to behave like star damned adults, and work on getting you two back to your terrifying universe,” Stretch said. “Do you two agree? Can we work together long enough to get your asses out of my life?”

 “Papy! Don’t be rude! And watch your language!” Blue scoffed placing his hands on his hips. Honestly, what was with Papy? Had the two time travelers upset him this much?

 “I’ll follow the rules,” Slim agreed. Razz scowled at Stretch.   

 Stretch hesitantly released the blue hold he had on the two skeletons.

 “I never agreed to any of that,” Razz scoffed, shoving his boot back on. Slim was at Razz’s side in an instant, and Razz literally growled at him.

 “So, I should go get captain Alphys and have her man handle you into the queen’s dungeon then?” Stretch asked raising a brow bone, gesturing to Muffet’s cafe.  Razz gave Stretch an incredulous look.

 “How dare you!” Razz snarled. 

 “That’s what I thought, so you’ll follow my three very simple rules?” Stretch asked with a small smirk.

 “Fuck you!” Razz spat, but he didn’t make a move to attack, which, in Blue’s eyes meant huge progress.

 “We should go home. Razz, Slim, you two can take my room, since Papy’s is filthy _._ I can share your room with you Papy? I’ll probably clean it first. And we should check on Razz’s injuries,” Blue said with a bright smile.

“I’m fine!” Razz snarled.

 “Can you even get up?” Stretch asked cocking his skull to the side curiously.

 “OF COURSE, I CAN!” Razz snarled. Stretch stared at him blankly. Razz crossed his arms with a scowl.

 “Well I’m waiting,” Stretch drawled. Razz narrowed his sockets at Stretch and his cheekbones dusted a slight magenta color.  

 "I’LL KILL YOU!” Razz snarled at Stretch. Stretch snorted his eyes lit with mirth.

 “No, you won’t. You would have done it by now. You can’t walk, can you?” Stretch drawled lazily. Razz stared at Stretch furiously, before he smacked the back of Slim’s skull.

"I hate you!" Razz growled.

"You adore me, i'm a star damned delight," Stretch quipped. Razz scoffed and scowled at his brother.

 “Mutt! Can’t you see that yellow bitch injured my leg and ribs? Are you going to make me walk back?”

 Slim looked mortified. “What- no m’lord!” Slim said quickly.

 “Then shortcut us to their ridiculous home you pathetic dog!” Razz snapped. Slim quickly wrapped his arms around his smaller, louder brother and the two disappeared with a quick pop. Blue blinked staring at the space where they used to be. He didn’t know Slim could teleport like Papy. Then again it made sense, seeing as they were practically the same person. Blue frowned at the snow. But they _weren’t_ right? Razz and Papy had said something about alternate universes, but Slim had said he thought he might be a future version of Stretch. The thought made Blue’s nonexistent stomach curl.

 “Oh geeze. We better get home before they destroy the house. Or kill each other. Or eat one our neighbors or something,” Stretch muttered under his breath.

 “Papy,” Blue said softly.

 “Yeah?” Stretch sounded hesitant as he looked at Blue.

 “Slim thinks he and Razz are future versions of us,” Blue said softly. Stretch burst out laughing. Blue pouted slightly as his brother laughed at him and Blue crossed his arms.

 “Sans, if they’re our future I’ll eat my sweatshirt. You and that tiny psychopath couldn’t be more different! And honestly, I’d never let you treat me the way Slim Lets Razz treat him,” Stretch said with a shrug. Well Blue would hope not. The two began walking back home, which Blue appreciated. Shortcuts made him nauseous.

 “But Slim must be really smart, like you. Something about me and Muffet must have made him think we were past versions of the people he cares about not what's the word? Alternate? Alternate versions,” Blue frowned. Honestly this stuff made his head hurt. It was Papyrus and Undyne’s kind of thing, not his.

 “Slim just met you today bro. You and Razzle dazzle certainly look alike. You both have similar mannerisms, you even walk the same, mostly. I mean, he’s you, but he’s _not_ you. Maybe Razz used to be a decent monster once upon a time and you reminded Slim of that? I just don’t see how we could ever become them, thank the stars. I could see how raised in a completely different world, versions of us could turn out like that,” Papyrus said. Blue nodded. That made sense. Razz and Slim were Blue and Stretch, but not. Blue liked that much better than the idea that in a questionable amount of years he’d _be_ Razz.

 “But, we should probably encourage Slim to keep thinking that we are their past selves and that they’re our future selves,” Stretch said thoughtfully.  Blue glanced at Stretch.

 “You want me to lie!?” Blue demanded.

 “No just, encourage. If Slim convinces Razz it’ll keep us alive. I mean, Slim seems highly unstable and Razz is way too violent, I’d like a reason for them to want to keep us alive,” Stretch said.

 “We could become their friends! Than they’d want us alive!” Blue said brightly. Stretch paused looking tired, but slowly, a soft smile graced his lazy brother’s features.

 “You're too good for this world bro, you know that?” Stretch said and he looked ahead. “Well the house isn’t on fire, that’s a good sign.”

 “Slim was fine earlier, at Muffet’s. I mean he was quiet and scared of me, but he didn’t hurt anyone. I think his behavior tonight was from that persistence stuff Razz was talking about?” Blue said looking at the house. It looked the same, calm and inviting.

 “Why didn’t you tell me about Slim?” Stretch said coming to a stop. Blue looked down, a feeling of guilt clawing at his soul.

 “I... Slim seemed so afraid of me. Like really afraid. No one’s been afraid of me like that before. I didn’t like it.  It made me feel worried about him. About what Razz must do to him? I didn’t tell you because I was afraid you’d want to reunite them,” Blue said softly. Which was absolutely the truth. But. . .a part of Blue, a very small part had wanted to keep Slim to himself, for some strange reason. Blue frowned at the thought.

 “Yeah, I probably would have,” Stretch agreed after a moment of silence. Stretch began walking again and Blue matched his pace. “It’s okay bro, it was a _slim_ chance I’d have agreed to keep them apart, so don’t beat yourself up about it,” Stretch grinned wide.

 “Papy no! It’s too late for puns!” Blue scolded and he opened the front door a moment later, warily listening for the other pair. The house was disturbingly silent.

 “Puns are not restrained by time of day bro,” Stretch said his eyelights flicking from the living room to the kitchen. Stretch took in the silence. “Oh, this can’t be good,” Stretch sighed as Blue closed the door.

 “Maybe they went to sleep? It’s late,” Blue suggested.

 “Evil never sleeps,” Stretch drawled.

 “They’re not evil! They just, well, have been through a lot,” Blue scolded placing his hands on his hips. “Besides, everyone has to sleep sometime,” Blue added.

***

Slim

 Slim sighed in relief when he and Razz appeared in what had to be Blue’s room. He had been incredibly nervous about teleporting after the disaster in his own timeline, and in his mind’s eye he had pictured his lord’s room. Half hoping they’d end up home, but Blue’s room was a second choice. It was better than teleporting into a wall. The last time he took a shortcut he and Razz ended up in this world.

 “Get off me!” Razz growled elbowing Slim hard in the rib. The two were seated on Blue’s bright blue race car bed. Slim quickly unwrapped his arms from Razz and got off the bed and looked down with worry at his brother.  

 “This room looks like a care bear vomited,” Razz scoffed his sockets narrowing. Slim snorted. It was cheerfully bright and had an innocence about it. There were action figures to the left of them, a treadmill over by the window. There were inspiring ‘quotes’ adorning one of the walls such as _if plan A didn’t work the alphabet has 25 more letters_ , and _the best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best for today,_ and then there was the matter of the race car bed.

 “It reminds me of how your room used to be,” Slim said quietly. Slim yelped as one of his lord’s boots smacked the back of his head.

 “What, when I was twelve?” Razz scoffed, the magenta color back on his cheekbones. Razz wrestled the other boot off, this time, throwing it across the room and not at Slim Which Slim greatly appreciated. Razz hissed slightly in pain, his hands going to his ribcage.

 “Will you- m’lord can I _please_ take a look at your ribs?” Slim asked quietly.

 “Fuck off! If you want to be useful get us the fuck home!” Razz snapped. Slim sighed but kept his distance from the angry skeleton.

 “I don’t know how to get us home,” Slim said softly. “I have no idea how we ended up here,” Slim admitted. Razz growled.

 “Well you’d _better_ figure it out! We can’t afford to be away from home! You know I’m the only damn thing keeping the peace between the queen, the guard, and the rest of the underground,” Razz sighed. Slim clenched his fists.

 Maybe Razz being away from the underground, their underground, was a good thing. Maybe they’d be here long enough for the people to rebel and overthrow the queen? Slim _did not_ understand his brother’s unwavering loyalty to the increasingly unstable monarch, but Slim knew better than to voice his opinions. The last time he had spoken out against the queen to his brother, Razz had tied him down and wrenched his tooth out with a pair of pliers. Slim _really_ didn’t want a repeat of that experience.

 “Stop it!” Razz snarled causing Slim to jump. Slim blinked down and winced to see he had begun scratching at his right arm with his sharp claw like phalanges of his left hand. It was a nervous tick of sorts Slim did when he was anxious, but the noise it made annoyed his brother to no end.

 “If young me helps, I’m s-sure I could get us home,” Slim said not meeting his brother’s eyelights. Razz gave a long-suffering sigh.

 “Are you sure that’s what they are? Younger versions of us? Because seriously,” Razz motioned to the bright blue room they were in. “The fuck.” Razz said.

 “Blue seems to be exactly how you used to be,” Slim said so quietly he wasn’t sure his lord had heard him. “And you _know_ your room used to look like this-”

 “Shut up!” Razz snapped and Slim obediently fell silent. “So, I can’t kill them?”

 “That would kill us. Plus, I don’t think I could get us home without Stretch’s help. I haven’t been a scientist for a very long time,” Slim said.

 “You help Undyne all the damn time!” Razz snapped.

 “Under the queen’s orders,” Slim tried to keep the disgust out of his tone involving queen Toriel. “And Undyne’s not working on time travel, or quantum physics, so I’m rusty,” Slim explained.

 “Spare me your ridiculous excuses! Can’t you do anything right!?” Razz growled. Slim shrugged. You’re so pathetic!”

 “Yes, m’lord,” Slim agreed.

 " You're so worthless!” Razz said louder.

 “Yes, m’lord,” Slim agreed again.

 “UGH!” Razz all but whined. Razz’s cold eyes scanned Slim over before Razz’s expression softened, only slightly.

 “Are you _sure_ you're okay Mutt? Everything is healed?” Razz asked, his voice almost soft.

 “Yes m’lord,” Slim said quickly. Razz was silent for a moment.

 “Do you have any persistence left?” Razz drawled. Slim dug through his pockets.

 “No,” Slim said withdrawing the empty syringe, before giving it to Razz. Razz quickly took it before putting it in his inventory on his phone.

 “I’m going to sleep. Tomorrow you're going to help me interrogate Stretch about our attacker. He knows something. Maybe that monster is the reason why we’re in this world, time period, whatever,” Razz huffed.

 “Yes m’lord,” Slim agreed.

 “Now get the fuck out,” Razz snapped. Slim sighed and walked out of Blue’s room, and he heard the lock click the moment the door closed. Slim sighed. Slim walked down the stairs to take the couch. Blue and Stretch were talking to each other.

 “Oh! You’re awake!” Blue said, and he smiled. Slim glanced around warily, looking behind him as if Blue might be smiling at another monster who lived here he hadn’t known about. He wasn’t used to receiving that kind of smile. Honest, open, glad to see him. It unnerved him.

 “Can I…” Slim fell quiet.

 “Can you?” Stretch prompted.

 “Can I sleep on the couch? Just for tonight? Drugs wearing off and I’m a lil’ sore. I promise I’ll sleep on the floor tomorrow,” Slim asked softly. Blue blinked looking surprised.

 “Of course, you can sleep on the couch! We would never make you sleep on the floor!  Is Razz not sharing the bed?” Blue frowned. Slim snorted.

 “M’lord doesn’t share anything,” Slim mumbled.

 “Somehow that doesn’t surprise me,” Stretch rolled his eyelights.

 “Never fear Slim! I the magnificent Sans will grab you pillows and blankets!” Blue announced before bounding up the stairs. Slim felt his mouth pull into a reluctant smile. Slim turned to Stretch.

 “Uh. Sorry about kicking your ass earlier,” Slim said with a shrug.

 “You mean I kicked your sorry ass,” Stretch said. Slim smiled despite himself.

 “Hey. Stretch, listen. You can’t tell m’lord about Doctor G.” Slim said firmly, looking Stretch in the eyelights. Stretch froze, his eyelights shrinking looking as if Slim had put a blade to his throat.

 “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Stretch said stiffly.

 “Yes, you do, don’t make me say _his_ name. He was the one that attacked us. He came out of nowhere, So I guess he’s back. Or at least in my time he is,” Slim said and he involuntarily shuddered. He was no fan of Doctor Gaster. Not at all. “M’lord doesn’t remember. I want to keep it that way.”

 “That's one thing we agree on.” Stretch sighed taking out a cigarette. Slim noted his hands were shaking. Slim couldn’t blame stretch. The doctor brought back many horrible memories. Slim eyed the cigarette Stretch had longingly before Stretch dug through his pocket and offered one to Slim. Slim gratefully took it and the two lit up. The two fell into a comfortable silence as Blue bounded down the stairs with a pile of blankets and pillows in his arms. Blue froze his sockets narrowing.

 “NO SMOKING IN THE HOUSE!” Blue yelled with a stern look and he began throwing pillows at the two tall skeletons. “OUT, OUT, OUT!” Blue yelled causing Slim to flinch and Stretch to laugh. The two quickly ducked out of the house to avoid Blue’s ‘wrath’.

 “He, uh, he’s not gonna hurt you man,” Stretch said as Blue slammed the door behind them muttering under his breath. “He’s just loud and bossy,” Stretch added with a shrug.

 “Right,” Slim said softly taking a hit of the cigarette.

 “Are Razz’s ribs okay?” Stretch asked curiously.

 “I don’t know. He won't let me help,” Slim sighed.

 “Well, at the rate he seems to heal, he will be fine by morning,” Stretch said with a shrug. Slim nodded in silent agreement.

 “...Slim. Do you know how- how the doctor came back?” Stretch asked quietly after a moment. Slim frowned, taking another hit.

 “No. But he wasn’t right. He was kind of like an amalgamate? Kind of melty,” Slim said and he shuddered. “What are you going to tell my brother when he asks you?” Slim asked.

 “Same thing I’ve been telling him. That I have no idea who he’s talking about,” Stretch said with a shrug. Slim hoped that would work. When the two finished their cigarettes, Blue had transformed the living room into some kind of blanket nest. The tv was on and there was a bowl of popcorn.

 “I thought we could watch movies!” Blue announced brightly with a big smile. “I have some Undyne leant me and it would help us all relax!”

 “Good idea bro,” Stretch said sitting in Blue’s blanket pile leaning his back against the couch. Slim hesitantly sat close to the edge of the blanket pile and Blue was in the middle.

 “I invited Razz, but he said no,” Blue said with a frown.

 “Really, he said no? I’m so surprised!” Stretch’s voice was dripped with sarcasm.

 “Well, okay, he didn’t exactly say no, he threw my lamp at me. I’m pretty sure that means no, and that I need a new lamp,” Blue said taking a mouth full of popcorn.

 “He threw a lamp at you!?” Stretch demanded tensing in righteous anger. Slim could see Stretch was very overprotective of his younger brother.

 “It’s okay he missed,” Blue said quickly.

 “It’s not okay! I’ll be right back, I’m going to have a chat with him.”

“Papy, no, you're going to miss the beginning of the movie!” Blue all but whined but Stretch teleported with a soft pop. Blue huffed out a little sigh. Slim bit back a smile. Why was everything this nicer lord did so adorable?

 The movie started, and Blue nudged the bowl of popcorn towards Slim. Slim blinked in surprise before hesitantly taking a small handful. Blue smiled and hesitantly, Slim smiled back. Was it wrong Slim did not want to leave this timeline, ever?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Does anyone else feel like Stretch and Razz are hate flirting or is it just me?
> 
> Next chapter Blue gives Razz a tour of the town, what could possibly go wrong!?
> 
> [Alphys](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TS-77jNVuHw) is the best undead lizard zombie ever!


	7. Adjustments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where the four skeletons interact like calm, rational adults and all get along. 
> 
> . . .
> 
> ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am SO sorry this is so late. I have no excuses. Okay, I have a ton of them ;) Finals and holidays! BUT STILL, NO EXCUSE!

***

Stretch

 

“Hey!” Stretch yelled slamming his fist against Blue’s door. “Pocket sized Edgelord! We need to talk!”

“Fuck off!” Razz’s sharp reply came from within the room. Stretch scowled and opened the door walking in. Razz was sitting on Blue’s bed shirtless. Stretch immediately stopped in his tracks the anger flooding out of him.

Razz, looking pissed off as ever, but he was in the process of _fixing_ his ribs. If it could be called fixing. Alphys hadn’t just broken a few of his ribs with her axes, she had completely caved in his ribcage. The ribs that weren’t broken were bent inwards at unnatural angles and Razz was currently popping them back into place.

“This turn you on?” Razz snapped wrenching another rib back into place with his fist. If it hurt, and Stretch was sure it did, Razz didn’t show it. Razz looked bored and pissed off not like he was currently popping bones back into place.

“What!? No! I- . . . do you need help?” Stretch asked softly. Razz rolled his eyelights.

“Help? Fine, yeah, come here,” Razz huffed. Stretch blinked in surprise. He didn’t actually think Razz would agree. Stretch walked over slowly as if approaching a temperamental tiger. Razz’s sockets narrowed at him.

"Sit.” Razz ordered pointing next to him on the bed. Stretch hesitantly sat next to the shorter skeleton.

“Tell me what to do?” Stretch asked. Did Razz need Stretch to pop the remaining ribs into place? Did he need help binding his ribcage?

Razz smirked looking genuinely amused. “Oh, don’t worry, I will.” Razz said turning slightly to face Stretch. “Give me your hand.”

Stretch slowly extended his hand towards the skeleton. Was Razz going to show him which rib to help with? The minute Razz’s cold hand clasped around Stretch’s wrist with an iron grip Stretch realized he had made a huge mistake.

“You know what would really _help_ me Stretch?” Razz growled his voice soft, sharp, and dangerous. Stretch’s hand was wrenched backwards uncomfortably so.

“Hey! Stop! My hand doesn’t bend that way man!” Stretch hissed and he pulled hard against the small captain, but the shorter skeleton was so much stronger than he appeared.

“Don’t interrupt!” Razz scolded his grip growing tighter around Stretch’s wrist, Razz’s other hand squeezing Stretch’s four phalanges pushing them back and further backwards still. Stretch’s wrist ached and his hand and wrist were growing increasingly more uncomfortable. The short psychopath was going to break his hand at this rate.

“It would really help me,” Razz hissed pushing Stretch’s hand even further backwards causing a spike of fear to flood through Stretch’s soul and the experience to shift from uncomfortable to painful.

“Ah!” Stretch gasped and he swung at Razz with his other hand. Razz looked surprised but caught his other wrist squeezing incredibly hard causing Stretch to inhale sharply.

“Let go!” Stretch yelled pulling to escape the small skeleton. It felt like he was trying to pull away from a rock monster, not a skeleton monster. How was Razz possibly this strong? Was it the LOVE? Physically Stretch had assumed he would be stronger.

“It’d _really_ help me,” Razz said squeezing both wrists hard enough for Stretch’s breath to hitch in pain, “if you’d mind your own fucking business!” Razz snarled and he released both wrists causing Stretch to fall off the bed as he was still desperately trying to pull away.

“Ow!” Stretch hissed as the back of his skull slammed against Blue’s soft rug. It was hard wood underneath the rug so the fall hurt more than he expected.  Razz raised a single brow bone at him.

“You-” Stretch started and fell in stunned silence as his soul turned blue and he was physically thrown from the room like a rag doll. With a yell Stretch’s back hit the stair banister and Blue’s bedroom door slammed shut. Stretch scowled rubbing his wrists gingerly.

“Asshole!” Stretch muttered before standing up and making his way down the stairs. He paused taking in the scene before him. Slim had either wrapped himself up or let Blue wrap him up in some kind of blanket burrito and was snoring peacefully. Slim looked, well, absolutely harmless. If Stretch hadn’t seen him dust the yandere plane, or if he hadn’t fought Slim himself, Stretch would have never suspected the innocent looking skeleton in front of him to be capable of any kind of violence.

Stretch wondered if he himself looked similar when he slept? Blue waved at him motioning for him to sit next to him.

“Is everything alright?” Blue whispered softly.

“Yeah bro. Razz is just a delight as always,” Stretch scoffed ignoring the soft pain pulsing in his left hand. Blue nodded some, worry still shining in his eyelights.

“Did he apologize about throwing the lamp?” Blue asked.

"Uh, no. And I don’t think he’s gonna.  I think we should just try to avoid him bro, he’s a loose cannon,” Stretch muttered. Blue hummed softly looking thoughtful.

“Do you have any ideas on how to get them both home? You used to be a scientist, your good at that kind of stuff.” Blue asked as Stretch sat next to him staring at the television screen.

“Been a long time since I’ve been a scientist bro,” Stretch said shortly. A really long time. Still, Stretch was fairly certain the machine he had in the secret room could help get their alter egos back to their dimension, if only Stretch knew how to put the thing back together. He had tried many times to fix that hunk of junk.

“But you are still really smart! I know you can come up with something if you try!” Blue said. Stretch gave his younger brother a lazy smile.

“Okay, I _might_ have an idea or two on how to send them home. Only because I really can’t stand Razz.  I need Undyne’s help, and maybe Slim’s,” Stretch said thoughtfully. He really didn’t think fixing that machine was possible, but hey, he’s been wrong before.

***

Blue

Blue had fallen asleep in the blanket nest with Stretch and Slim. He rubbed his sockets blearily before crawling out of the blankets. Stretch was still fast asleep but Slim was absent. Something smelled delicious and Blue felt his soul rumble in hunger. Blue made his way to the kitchen and stopped in surprise.

Razz was leaning against the counter arms crossed and scowling. Razz’s scowl, Blue was realizing, was not unusual, and might even be Razz’s neutral expression. Slim was sitting on the floor on the opposite end of the kitchen, a plate of food balancing on his knees. It appeared as if one of the brothers had made omelets, as Slim was currently dripping Barbeque sauce on his eggs. Blue felt the area above his nasal passage wrinkle in disgust. He thought Papy putting honey on eggs was weird, but that was just gross!

“Here.” Razz snapped. Blue looked up in surprise as Razz shoved a plate into Blue’s unsuspecting hands and pushed him into a chair at the table. Blue blinked in surprise at the plate of food.

“Oh, wow! Thanks Razz!” Blue said a wide grin spreading across his face. Razz’s eye sockets narrowed, as if he were suspicious about being thanked. Maybe he was? It seemed like the world Razz and Slim came from might not be the nicest world in the multiverse. Maybe the two just needed someone to show them there was a different way?

“Tch. Just eat.” Razz snapped rolling his eyelights. Blue briefly wondered if he should wake Papy up for breakfast, but he didn’t want to be rude and not eat the food Razz had prepared.

“It looks like your all healed up? You really do heal fast,” Blue said in surprise. Razz seemed completely fine. Not at all like he had broken his ribs twice now.  Razz rolled his eyes.

“I told you I heal fast. Are you going to eat or not?” Razz snapped.

Deciding it was best not to risk blowing Razz’s incredibly short fuse, Blue began eating the eggs. Wowie!” Blue said his eyelights turning to stars. “This is amazing Razz!” Blue would have to get a recipe or two from Razz because these eggs were delicious.

“Of course it’s amazing. Everything I do is,” Razz scoffed with a small smug smile.

“I’d love for you to teach me a few things in the kitchen sometime!” Blue said with a grin. Slim was watching Blue curiously, and Razz looked taken aback.

“Well of course you would,” Razz said recovering from his shock quickly. “Anyone would be desperate for a chance to learn from the Malicious Sans,” Razz drawled.

“Is that a yes?” Blue asked with a grin. Razz crossed his arms giving Blue a critical look.

“I will think about it. I don’t usually allow trash in the kitchen,” Razz said raising a brow bone.

“Oh don’t worry I keep my kitchen completely clean!” Blue said eagerly. Razz frowned, as if Blue had said something strange and Slim coughed into his food.

“Mutt, I thought I told you to be silent?” Razz huffed. Slim ducked his head shrinking into his coat. Blue frowned.

“Anyway,” Blue said quickly before Razz decided to throw something at poor Slim. “I was thinking I could show you two around the underground! We could see what differences there are between this world and yours- er, this time period and yours,” Blue quickly corrected himself.

“I’ve seen it all before,” Razz said still staring at Slim as if he was something disgusting he had found on the bottom of his boot. “But it might be advantageous to re-familiarize myself to the terrain and citizens,” Razz said thoughtfully.

“Definitely!” Blue agreed.

“Mutt, you stay here. I don’t want you leaving this house,” Razz ordered and Slim quickly nodded.

“He can come-” Blue started and fell silent from the sharp glare Razz was giving him. Blue clenched his fists. He didn’t like bullies, and Razz was definitely a bully. He should stand up for Slim, demand that Slim be allowed to go. That it wasn’t Razz’s place to order Slim around.

But, Razz was not at a space to be reasonable. Anything Blue said would be ignored, or would fuel the other skeleton’s anger. Blue didn’t want to make matters worse for Slim.

“I just mean, I don’t mind if Slim comes,” Blue corrected himself under the other’s piercing gaze.

“I mind. Now let’s go,” Razz said.

“I can’t go out like this,” Blue said gesturing to his pajamas. Razz gave him a blank look.

“It doesn’t look any less ridiculous than your usual get up,” Razz scoffed. Blue ignored Razz’s comment. Blue knew how awesome his battle body was, he didn’t care what Razz had to say. Papy had made it for him after all! Blue quickly bounded up the stairs to his room before grabbing his clothes and getting ready for the day.

When Blue made his way down the stairs Stretch was sitting at the table staring at a plate of eggs warily.

“. . . Is it poisoned?” Stretch demanded looking up at Razz who was glaring daggers at him.

“Why don’t you try it and find out?” Razz growled.

“Good morning Papy!” Blue greeted his brother with a big smile. This seemed to disrupt the tension between the two and Stretch gave Blue a soft smile.

“Hey bro.” Stretch said with a lazy drawl.

"I’m going to show Razz around town did you and Slim want to come?” Blue asked. Razz shot Blue a frustrated look.

“I told you, the mutt is staying here.” Razz said. Stretch raised a brow bone glancing at Slim who was still sitting on the floor. Slim had finished eating and was absentmindedly playing with the dog collar around his neck. Blue frowned. Blue really, _really_ hoped that was a fashion choice and not something Razz made Slim wear. It was really hard to tell at this point.

“I think we _all_ should go,” Stretch said quickly. Razz glanced at the tall skeleton with a small smirk.

“What? Don’t want me alone with your brother? Don’t want to leave the dog here alone either?” Razz asked.

“That pretty much sums it up,” Stretch said crossing his arms. Razz chuckled softly. Blue wasn’t sure how Razz could turn something as natural and pure as laughter into something that sounded sinister.

“Relax. I’m not going to hurt Blueberry. Slim needs to stay here so why don’t you play dog sitter?” Razz said still looking amused.

“Hell no am I letting you go anywhere with my brother alone,” Stretch said hsi sockets narrowing.

“Papy! Come on. I’m not a baby bones!” Blue huffed. Why didn’t Stretch let Blue do anything? Blue knew Razz was unstable but Blue was training to be in the royal guard! Blue could handle himself.

“Either we all go or none of us go,” Stretch said. Razz stared at Stretch expressionless. Blue sighed glancing at Slim who hadn’t moved from his position on the floor. Maybe this was a good thing? Maybe Razz would let Slim come?

“Then I guess I will tour the town myself,” Razz said his ice eyelights meeting Stretch’s eyelights.

“Oh hell no,” Stretch said sockets narrowing.

“Papy! Language!” Blue scolded. Razz eyed Stretch before he gave a casual shrug.

“Alright fine,” Razz said. Stretch blinked in surprise.

“Wait. Really? Just like that? No arguing or threatening to kill anyone?” Stretch demanded.

“Papy, be nice,” Blue said giving his brother a soft nudge.

“I'm a reasonable monster,” Razz said looking offended. “I understand if you don’t trust me or the mutt,” Razz said with another casual shrug. Stretch frowned at Razz and Razz smiled.  “Your eggs are getting cold.”

“They really are poisoned! That’s why you're being so agreeable.” Stretch groaned giving the eggs another fearful glance.

“Why don’t you find out?” Razz suggested his voice overly sweet.  


“Okay, yeah. I’m not hungry anymore.” Stretch said pushing the plate slightly away from himself.

“That’s rude! Try a bite!” Razz said crossing his arms the false sweet tone fading. Slim and Blue watched the two bicker and Blue gave Slim a small smile. Slim stared at him curiously before looking away.

“If Papy isn’t hungry and we aren’t going to show you and Slim around the town I guess we can get started on trying to get you guys home?” Blue said talking over the two bickering skeletons. Both, thankfully, fell quiet. Razz crossed his arms giving Stretch a furious look and Stretch glanced at Blue looking sheepish.

“Good idea bro. Let me just grab some tools, there’s something I want to try in back of the house before we ask Undyne for help. The less people who know about these two the better,” Stretch said before he teleported upstairs. The minute Stretch was gone Razz grinned ferally.

“Finally. Let’s go,” Razz said grabbing Blue’s arm.

“Huh? Go? Go where!?” Blue spluttered as Razz ushered him towards the door.

“You’re going to show me around the underground remember? Or did you forget already?” Razz said and he looked over his shoulder back at Slim. “Stay mutt.” Razz ordered before shoving Blue out the door and closing it quietly.

Blue stumbled ungracefully when Razz gave him another push off the steps of his home. Blue looked at Razz sockets wide, anxiety beginning to pulse in Blue’s soul.“But Papy said-”

“Who cares what he said? You wanted to show me around town, so do it. He’s not the boss of you,” Razz interrupted, and Razz walked ahead of Blue. He seemed to be analyzing his surroundings his eyelights scanning the area.

“But-” Blue said practically jogging to keep up with Razz.

“Don’t be a child. Do you always do everything your brother tells you to?” Razz demanded not slowing down his pace in the slightest. Blue matched his pace with some effort, Razz certainly walked faster than Blue was used to. Blue would have to push himself harder in his training sessions with Alphys.

“Well, yes. Papyrus is my big brother. He watches out for me,” Blue said softly. He should turn around, go back to the house, Stretch had really seemed worried about what Razz was capable of. But then again, if Stretch was so worried about Razz being dangerous someone should keep an eye on Razz. Who better than Blue? Blue was going to join the royal guard after all!

“You listen to your brother, even though he’s lazy, irresponsible, and makes poor life choices? Why?” Razz asked glancing at Blue.

“Because,” Blue started, and he paused. Why did he listen to Papy? Besides the fact that he respected his brother that is? Papy was lazy, his eating habits were horrible, he smoked, didn’t take care of himself, and Blue was an adult. In fact Blue was constantly trying to get Stretch to take better care of himself. Did the fact that Stretch was older really make Papy right? Blue frowned and pushed the thoughts away.

“Papy and I listen to each other,” Blue explained, “Neither of us are ‘the boss’ of the other. I just respect his opinions and advice,” Blue said, and he came to a stop as Razz did. Razz was giving the shop a puzzled look.

“You shouldn’t listen to him,” Razz said with a sour look. Razz walked towards the shop looking it over critically.

“This is Doggo’s shop,” Blue explained. Maybe it was different in Razz’s world? Blue wasn’t sure why else Razz would be so interested.

“Did you want to go inside?” Blue asked after a moment.

“No. In my timeline Doggo deals weapons in this place. He sells groceries as a front,” Razz frowned at the sign.

“Weapons? For the royal guard?” Blue asked and he followed as Razz began walking again.

“That treacherous dog sells to whoever will pay. I know for a fact he sells to the Queen's Guard as well as the gangs and resistance members,” Razz said with a disgusted look.

“Resistance members?” Blue blinked at Razz owlishly. Gangs? Resistance? What in the world was happening in Razz’s universe?

“Ridiculous name, isn’t it? You’d think the missing King had named them,” Razz said and he paused to frown at the sign to Snowdin. “They’re all traitors to queen Toriel,” Razz said his eyelights flashing with anger.

“That’s horrible,” Blue said softly. He couldn’t imagine anyone going against the queen in this timeline. She always did what was best for monster kind. She was brave and giving and they couldn’t ask for a better ruler.

“It’s alright, “Razz said and he smirked at Blue. “I’m going to hunt every last one of them down down.”

“Your captain of the Royal Guard- I mean Queen's Guard, right?” Blue asked and he grinned trying to reign in his excitement.

“Of course I am,” Razz scoffed.

“Could you teach me some moves!?” Blue asked. Razz paused and turned to look at Blue.

“Hm. You want someone as amazing as me to teach you how to fight? Well of course you do, but are you really worth my effort?” Razz raised a brow bone at Blue.

“Please! I’m so close to joining the guard and I know if I impress Captain Alphys with some new moves she will have to let me in!” Blue said eagerly. Razz began to smirk.

“Alright. I’ll teach you some things. Lesson one, dodging,” Razz said stepping back from Blue a few paces. Magical ice blue femur like bone attacks appeared all around Razz. There were at least twenty.

“Uh-” Blue said taking a step back. “This is a little more advanced than I was thinking maybe we should-

“Dodge!” Razz grinned as the bones all began to launch at Blue.

***

Slim

“Where did they go!?” Stretch demanded glaring at Slim as if any of this was Slim’s fault. Slim wasn’t supposed to talk. It had been a direct order from his lord, but he was getting tired of Stretch’s constant questions and threats that Slim was certain the other skeleton would never fall through on. Besides, Slim had a horrible headache. Persistence left a horrible hangover and Slim just wanted to crawl into bed.

“Why won’t you answer me!?” Stretch demanded. Slim shrugged leaning his chin against his knee, still sitting in the corner of the kitchen.

“Listen, my brother isn’t safe with that homicidal maniac you refer to as ‘your lord’. If you have any idea where they might have gone you need to tell me!” Stretch said pacing in front of Slim. Slim shrugged again. Maybe he could talk, and Razz wouldn’t find out? No one was here but Stretch and Stretch really didn’t seem like the tattling type. Plus, Stretch was eventually going to go from worried to angry and the only one here to take that anger out on was Slim.

"Come on man! I know you can talk! Help me out. if anything happens to Sans you and your brother are gonna have a bad time,” Stretch all but growled. It would have been threatening if Stretch didn’t have Slim’s face. Slim sighed twisting the collar around his neck.

“M’lord won’t hurt Blue,” Slim spoke and he flinched. He looked around warily half expecting Razz to appear and reprimand him for disobeying. Stretch’s eyelights followed where Slim’s went and Stretch gave Slim a perplexed look.

“How do you know he won't hurt him? He hurts you. He’s tried over and over to hurt and kill me!” Stretch said clenching and unclenching his fists.

"Because my lord wouldn’t risk hurting himself,” Slim said firmly. Now that Razz knew the risk Slim was certain he wouldn’t hurt Blueberry.

“But he risks hurting you?” Stretch asked raising an eyebrow at Slim. Slim blinked and tugged on his collar tightly.

“I _deserve_ it. But I guess you could say my lord only hurts Papyrus’s,” Slim shrugged. Stretch sighed into his palms.

“That’s not all that comforting Slim,” Stretch groaned and he stared at Slim for a moment in silence before turning away. “Come on, we need to find them,” Stretch said gesturing towards the door. Slim shook his head furiously.

“Nope. My lord told me to stay. I’m not going anywhere.” Slim said. Stretch turned and scowled at Slim.

“Look I’m not leaving you here alone while I go look for them. I don’t trust you alone, not after what you did last night.” Stretch said crossing his arms. Slim sighed at his sneakers. “So, you’re coming with me.”

“I'm not leaving this house,” Slim said looking up at Stretch.

“Yes, you are!” Stretch said taking a step forward.

“No, I’m not,” Slim narrowed his sockets at Stretch.

"He’s like _half_ your size. What are you afraid of?” Stretch demanded.

“He hates people making fun of his height,” Slim warned warily. Talking like that was a guaranteed way to get beaten up and Slim kind of liked Stretch.

“You might have a point. He does have a _short_ temper,” Stretch said with a shrug. Slim choked covering his mouth. He refused to laugh. He wouldn’t laugh. If Razz found out, he would be so screwed. _It’s not funny. It’s **not** funny. _

“It was really _small_ of me to say that,” Stretch said with a shit eating grin. Slim burst into laughter.

“You were being kind of _low,_ weren’t you?” Slim said with a grin. Stretch’s eyelights lit mischievously.

“I do hate my _short_ comings,” Stretch laughed.

“You were a _little_ insulting,” Slim agreed. Slim couldn’t stop laughing. He couldn’t remember the last time he punned like this. Stretch gasped for air he was laughing so hard, his face an orange color.

“Oh stars, that’s brilliant. I’ve never had someone pun back before,” Stretch wiped one of his sockets still chuckling. He took a slow breath before looking back at Slim who was still grinning.

“Now come on, we need to find _my_ brother before _your_ brother traumatizes him,” Stretch said.

Slim sighed before rising to his feet. If he followed Stretch out of this house, he was going to be in so much shit. But someone who could appreciate horrible puns like that, even if it was a younger version of himself, was someone Slim could respect. He supposed he could do Stretch a solid and go with him to find his brother and put Stretch’s mind at ease. Slim knew what it was like to worry about a little brother.

The two stepped out of the house in comfortable silence.  

“What direction do you think they went?” Stretch said looking around warily.

“If my lord is leading he would head towards the beginning of Snowdin than go through it to note all the differences,” Slim said thoughtfully. Stretch nodded and the two made their way towards the beginning of the town.

“What’s your time like man?” Stretch asked after a moment. Slim let out a soft sigh.

“Not like this,” Slim said thoughtfully. Stretch gave Slim a blank look.

“Wow, that was really detailed. I certainly understand more about you and where you come from, I’m glad we could have this talk,” Stretch said sarcasm dripping from every word. Slim felt a smirk tug on his mandible.

“You’re welcome,” Slim said with a shrug. “Tell me about this time.”

“It’s this,” Stretch said gesturing around Snowdin with a raised eyebrow. “See? I can play the same game.” Slim snorted.

“Fine. What do you want to know? Ask a question and I’ll answer, then I get to ask you a question,” Slim said.

“Alright fair enough,” Stretch said looking thoughtful. “What the fuck is wrong with your brother?”

“There’s nothing wrong with m’lord,” Slim said firmly. Stretch stared at Slim as if he had grown another head. “He just has a temper,” Slim admitted.

“Understatement of the year,” Stretch said shaking his head. Slim glanced warily at the shop as they passed by.  

“My turn,” Slim said looking at Stretch. “Do you know what a reset is?”

Stretch scowled glaring ahead. “Yeah. Kid’s a fucking nightmare,” Stretch growled out. Slim nodded in silent agreement. He knew how bad the kid could be.

“My turn,” Stretch said quickly. “Was Razz ever-” Stretch’s question was cut short as a Razz turned the corner, entering the town. Slim swallowed hard staring at the snow. He was so screwed for leaving the house.

“Where’s my brother!?” Stretch demanded. Razz stared at Stretch his sockets narrowing before Razz looked at Slim. Razz frowned and looked back at Stretch.

“How-” Razz started and Stretch closed the distance between the two grabbing Razz by his blue scarf lifting the shorter skeleton into the air.   
“Where’s my brother!? What did you do to him!?” Stretch growled shaking Razz.

“How dare you!?" Razz growled. "Put me the fuck down! Blue’s fine he’s-”

“If you hurt him I swear to Toriel you’re going to  h a  v e  a  b a d   t i m e."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Stretch](https://soundcloud.com/the-shadow-government/undertale-au-underswap-reanimation-the-shadow-governments-take) don't take chances when it comes to his bro Razz, come on now!
> 
> Well I'm hyped to find out if Blue's alive or not!
> 
> Next chapter plot happens. Maybe.


	8. Blackout

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Razz's official anger-o-meter hits record numbers. 
> 
> Warnings: body horror?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who is reading, kudoing, commenting, and bookmarking! Ahhh! I didn't expect to get much traffic on this fic at all so I'm pleasantly surprised! 
> 
> Sorry this was late! It's Razz's fault really. Had to re-write this chapter soooo many times because of him. SO MANY TIMES.

Blue

 Blue was _not_ good at dodging. He never had been. Dodging had always been Stretch’s specialty. Blue was good at attacking in quick, sharp, short bursts. Blue wasn’t in it for the long game, his style was to attack quick and hard. He did his all, held nothing back, and would hopefully win the battle before he ran out of stamina. Razz seemed to know this about him, because just like Alphys, Razz was pushing Blue to the point of exhaustion. Though in a much quicker and harsher fashion then Alphys’s training style.

Alphys always told Blue he needed to pace himself, hold back his energy, not spend it all at once and to build up his stamina so he could ‘last’ longer. Blue wasn’t going to last very long against Razz at all. Razz’s attacks were quick, strong, and seemingly unending. He had already been hit several times by Razz’s sharp bone attacks and Razz was not going easy on him.

 Blue hadn’t realized Alphys _was_ going easy on him until the first bone attack from Razz grazed across the top of his shoulder and took off 20 HP. Blue had a decent amount of HP. At least Blue had thought he did, until today. It wasn’t as high as Alphys, but Blue thought 160 HP was a good number, until three attacks ago when his HP reached 80.

 “Ah!” Blue gasped as he zigged when he should have zagged and a sharp bone with a point imbedded into his femur. Pain exploded through him and the leg gave out from other him. He fell into the snow with a sharp hiss. A small circle of marrow stained his pants around the wound. Blue’s HP was hovering at 60 now and he was starting to feel woozy. With a cry Blue pulled the offending bone out of his femur and it crumbled to dust.

 “That really hurt!” Blue said softly. Razz rolled his eyes, sending another bone towards Blue. Blue scrambled to the side to avoid the blow.

 “Razz can we- ah,” Blue jumped avoiding another series of attacks. “Can we take a break? For just a minute!?”

Razz chuckled his ice eyelights lit in what genuinely looked like amusement. “There are no breaks in a real battle, Blue,” Razz clicked his tongue at him. “You’ll never learn anything useful if I coddle you.” Razz said before another series of bones launched at Blue.

 Panting heavily Blue dropped to the snow and rolled underneath the attacks. He jumped over a few that Razz had adjusted and aimed at the ground. Blue couldn't’] believe he dodged them all. He tried to catch his breath as he looked back at Razz. Now would be the time to attack, but he didn’t want to catch Razz by surprise.

 Razz raised a brow bone at him before releasing another wave of attacks. Blue dodged as best he could but he was so tired. His body felt so heavy and sluggish. Each movement was harder than the last. He felt like he couldn’t move another inch. As the attacks ended he fell to his knees gasping for air.

 “R-Razz stop! I only have 40 HP left!” Blue said panting hard.

 “40 HP huh?” Razz said stepping forward. Razz summoned a long blunt femur bone. Blue glanced up at him curiously. What was Razz going to do with that?

 “Here,” Razz tossed Blue the long femur bone. Blue barely caught it.

 “On your feet,” Razz instructed. Blue swallowed down the groan that tried to escape him. He wouldn’t complain. He _asked_ for Razz’s help. Razz was helping him, right? Blue stood up warily.

 “We are going to play a game. After that we’ll be done for the day. Or are you chickening out?” Razz said summoning another blunt femur bone.

 “I’m not chickening out!” Blue said offended. Razz gave him a look of approval. At least, Blue thought it was a look of approval.

 “Good. Then I’m going to attack you in close combat. I’m going to strike six times. If I get at least four hits in I win. If I don’t and you dodge or block me, you win. Sound fair?” Razz said his smile looking sinister. Why did Blue feel like he was about to agree to a deal with the devil?

“Yeah, I think that sounds fair,” Blue said after a moment’s thought.

 “Wow Blue, you agreed and didn’t even ask what I wanted if I won,” Razz drawled with a knowing smirk.

 “The uh, joy of knowing you won?” Blue suggested with a frown. He didn’t realize there were going to be stipulations to winning.

 “That's what you want if you win? Alright, I won’t judge. Your terms are set,” Razz said with a shrug spinning his bone club. Blue frowned.

 “Wait that's not what-”

 “As for me, if I win, I’m going to break your brother’s arm.” Razz interrupted. Blue’s sockets widened in shock. Razz had said it so casually. As if he had said he’d take twenty gold for winning, or that it was snowing outside. Blue frowned at his alternate. Razz _couldn't_ be serious. That was sick. Who makes winning bets like that!?

 “Your joking, right? That’s not funny. I’m not doing this if it puts Papy at risk!” Blue said. Razz chuckled softly. It was not a comforting sound. It sounded off. Malicious even.

 “You already agreed Blue,” Razz stepped forward. “And honestly? Neither of you can stop me.” Razz grinned viciously before he slammed the make-shift bone club against Blue’s side hard.

 Blue yelped at the sharp pain. The battle body seemed to soak some of the damage, and his 40 HP dropped to 30. If Razz hit him three more times not only would Razz likely go through with his winning terms of breaking Stretch’s arm, but Blue would be dust.

 “That’s one!” Razz sang. Blue clenched his fists. Razz was enjoying this, he realized. Blue gripped the bone club given to him tightly.

 Razz swung again and Blue barely blocked it with the club Razz had gifted him. Blue’s whole frame shook from the blow and Blue blinked in surprise. He actually blocked Razz? Wait. Of course, he did! He was the Magnificent Sans. He could do this! He could win.

 “Good!” Razz praised.

 “Really!?” Blue grinned and he groaned as Razz’s bone club smacked into his ribcage. His HP only dropped 5 points this time.

 “That was dirty!” Blue gasped and he just barely dodged as Razz swung again.

 “Fighting _is_ dirty. I’ve hit you twice and missed once. Three left, two for me to win,” Razz grinned. Blue took a deep breath. He could do this. He only needed to block or dodge Razz two more time to win. Razz charged at him and swung. Blue went to block it with the bone Razz had given him when the bone turned to dust.

 “What.  . .” Blue said in shock. Razz hit him hard in the side, another 5 HP draining.

 “YOU CHEATED! You made my weapon disappear!”  Blue huffed feeling heat color his cheekbones. This was completely unfair! Razz burst into laughter.

 “Oh, don’t pout,” Razz teased. Blue scoffed.  He wasn’t pouting. He the Magnificent Sans, didn’t pout. Blue crossed his arms. He was just irritated at Razz’s blatant cheating.

 “Should use your own weapons then, shouldn’t you? Don’t trust your opponent you moron.” Razz grinned nastily.

 “But you told me to use it!” Blue argued. Razz circled him spinning his own bone club ignoring him.

 “If I hit you one more time, I win. Do you think your brother will scream when I snap his radius in half?” Razz taunted. Blue clenched his fists. That wasn’t funny. This wasn’t fair. Was Razz seriously going to try to hurt Papy if Blue failed? He wouldn’t _let_ Razz hurt his brother. A wave of anger went through Blue and as Razz struck, _Blue struck back._

 Blue stood stock still, sockets wide. He was at 20 HP, Razz’s hit had struck his side, but he had materialized a smaller bone club and had smacked the Captain of the Queen’s Guard _in the face_ with it.

 Razz looked completely taken aback, his ice eyelights shrinking slightly.

 “Oh, my stars! I’m so sorry!” Blue gasped. “I can’t believe I did that! I didn’t mean- I just-”

 “Not bad,” Razz said letting his own club disappear and shoving Blue back some. Blue blinked in surprise. What? But he had just _hit_ Razz. That wasn’t part of the training! Or the game! Blue was supposed to dodge and block. Blue had cheated!

 Blue hadn’t meant to. Razz had just made him _so angry._ Threatening Stretch, taunting Blue. Still that was no excuse.

 “Took you long enough,” Razz huffed.

 “You _wanted_ me to hit you in the face?” Blue asked quietly letting his own weapon fade away. Razz scowled.

 “Well, not the face. I didn’t expect _that._ But yes, I was trying to get you to fight back,” Razz rolled his eyelights.

 “Why didn’t you just tell me to fight back? Make it part of the rules?” Blue asked with a frown. Razz facepalmed.

 “Because, Blueberry. The only rule in battle is to kill the other _before_ they kill you. The sooner you learn that, the better fighter you will be,” Razz sighed. Blue frowned. Where was the honor in cheating like that? Fighting with dirty tricks was not the way Blue wanted to battle his opponents.

 “Besides, that fear for your brother? The anger it caused? You need it. It’ll keep you fighting past the point of exhaustion. You should learn to harness your anger and use it against your opponent. But we can work on that more next time,” Razz said looking thoughtful.

 Blue blinked and smiled. “Oh! I get it! You threatened Papy to make me angry! You’re not really going to hurt him!” Blue said with relief. He knew Razz wasn’t as bad as he seemed to be. That he wouldn't actually hurt anyone now that they were all working together to help him and Slim get home.

 Razz raised a brow bone at him. “Oh no I’m _definitely_ going to break his arm, I won,” Razz scoffed, and he smirked, before bones sprang up through the snow all around Blue forming a cage of glowing blue bones.  

 “Hey!” Blue yelled. He touched one experimentally and pulled his hand back.  Going through them would drain too much HP at this point, he only had 14 HP left.

“What are you doing!?” Blue demanded.

 “Testing your patience,” Razz said with a grin before he winked and walked away.

 “Hey! Come back!” Blue yelled. Razz laughed loudly, and his sharp footsteps faded. “Come back! Razz?” Blue called. There, of course, was no reply.

 “Razz, this isn’t funny! You’re not really going to hurt Papy, right? You’re just teasing me?”

 Blue got no reply again and Blue frowned. Blue was _so_ tired. That training session had been hard. Blue shifted slightly. He didn’t have room to really get comfortable in the tight small bone cage. It had to fade away, eventually right? How long could Razz keep the attack up?

 Probably a long time.

 Blue sighed loudly and yelped in surprise as a drop of liquid splashed against the top of his skull. Blue frowned rubbing his skull. His hand came back with a small black smudge. Blue frowned. What was that?

 Another drop of liquid hit him. Blue looked up and screamed.  Staring down at him, from the trees was some kind of twisted, horrible looking creature. It was long, black and twisted around the tree branches like a snake, but _it was dripping._ Black globs fell from the creature’s ‘body’ into the snow. Two skeletal hands with twin holes in the palms were gripping the branch above Sans tightly and a face was staring down at him with a smile that was impossibly wide. It made Blue’s soul freeze. The eyeholes? Sockets? We’re drooping with flickering white eyelights and the creature began reaching down, towards Blue, the long arm stretching impossibly long. Skeletal fingers wrapped around one of the bones of the cage Razz had made.

 “ **S _T A_**Y ST **I** LL **.”**

 

***

RAZZ

 “If you hurt him I swear to Toriel you’re going to  h a  v e  a  b a d   t i m e." Stretch growled. Razz stared at the version of his brother who clearly had a death wish. How dare this moron try and threaten him?  Stretch’s fist was clasped around Razz’s bandana and he had Razz lifted into the air. Razz was going to make him regret it.

 “If you don’t let go of me,” Razz growled out slowly, as if talking to a particularly stupid person, “I’m going to punish you.”

 Stretch ignored him. “What did you do to my brother? Where is he!” Stretch demanded and Stretch gave Razz a small shake. Razz clenched his fists. He did _not_ appreciate being man handled like this. Especially by someone with his brother’s face.

 “Put him down,” Slim said nervously. Stretch ignored Slim and Slim flinched under Razz’s withering look. Razz had to do everything himself. As usual. With a snarl, Razz kicked Stretch hard. The heel of his boot met Stretch’s face with a satisfying crack. That would leave a bruise. Stretch toppled over with a cry, not expecting the blow and Stretch grunted as he landed on his tailbone in the snow. Razz landed on his feet.

 “Stars! What the _hell_ -” Stretch started but Razz moved quickly, driving the tip of his steel toed boot into the other’s side. “Ah! What the _fuck_ man!?” Stretch groaned out. Stretch scowled at Razz, a single eyelight flashing orange.

 “I told you to let me go or I’d punish you,” Razz said and he went to kick the skeleton again but Stretch, unlike Slim, dodged. Razz blinked back his surprise as Stretch rolled to the side and jumped to his feet. A bone attack bounced off of Razz’s forehead and Razz growled. Stretch wanted to play? _Oh, he’d play_ -

 A scream cut through the air making Razz frown and Slim and Stretch flinch. It had sounded, well, like him. Had that been Blue?

 “Sans!?” Stretch yelled and he ran past Razz, completely abandoning the fight.  Razz rolled his eyelights. Really? Blue needed help? It had been like _five minutes._ Had the Blueberry injured himself by trying to escape the cage? What an idiot. It wasn’t Razz’s fault if Blue had less intelligence than a sea slug. Razz turned towards Slim who was frowning staring at the trees.

 “S-should we go check on them?” Slim asked softly, shifting uncomfortably. Razz tried to control the overwhelming rage that coursed through him at his brother’s voice. He really, _really_ did. Razz stepped forward and he had to reach farther than he’d ever admit, standing on his toes, to grab his brother’s collar. Razz pulled his brother down hard and fast and he slammed Slim’s face against his knee with a sickening crack.   

 “ _Agh_!” Slim yelped falling back covering his face.

 “You know, mutt,” Razz drawled stepping towards the injured skeleton casually. “I seem to recall ordering you to shut your fucking mouth and stay in the damn house,” Razz growled. Slim groaned, dropping his palms from his face and giving Razz a miserable look. Slim’s eyelights were unfocused and there was a small crack on his forehead. Red marrow slowly trickled down his Slim’s face.

 “Yet here you are, out of the house and running your mouth. What am I supposed to do with that?” Razz stared down at his brother before curiously running a phalange along the trail of marrow. Slim flinched from the touch and Razz stared at the red substance on his finger tip before raising a single brow bone at his brother. Razz slowly slid the finger into his mouth. _Coppery._

 Slim swallowed hard.

 “M’lord-”

 The sound of a blaster made both brother’s freeze and Razz turned sharply, looking for the offending weapon. Nothing. The noise did not belong to one of his brother’s blasters. Which meant Stretch was using a blaster.

 “Stay.” Razz snapped at Slim before he quickly made his way back to the clearing where he had left Blue. Razz summoned his favored weapon of choice, a long cyan whip made from magic with a bone hilt. He crept quietly, hearing Stretch’s blasters go off a second time.

 Razz peered around a tree and he took in a sharp breath. Well this was unexpected.

The cage Razz had conjured was gone, likely destroyed. Blue was covered in what appeared to be black goo? Ink? Razz wasn’t sure. Blue was sprawled in the snow, shivering. Blue’s eyelights were out, and the small monster was scrambling backwards in the snow away from the figure before him. The monster that had attacked Razz and Slim hovered over Blue, sporting large holes where Stretch’s blasters must have shot through the monster.

 The monster looked as disgustingly off as Razz remembered. The monster’s ‘body’ was made up of a dripping black substance. Likely the same substance Blue was covered in. Razz narrowed his sockets at the monster. Two skeletal hands were clenched into fists at the monster’s side, and the skeletal face seemed to frown at Stretch. As if Stretch hadn’t just shot him with a huge attack. 

“ **S** o, ** _yo_ u’re** th _e o_ n ** _e_ w** _i **th**_ **t h _e_ **_blaste_ **r i** n th **is u _niver_ s**e? **I _n_** ter _e st_i **n** **g.”** The monster’s voice was rough and _wrong._ Like hearing a voice through radio static. The two giant holes in the monster’s chest area filled in with the black substance that the monster seemed to be made of. Stretch took in a sharp breath, his blaster releasing another stream of white energy.

 Half of the monster’s face was gone from the attack. Razz was actually impressed. Slim’s attacks were much less accurate. The monster shifted and groaned, before the face filled back in.

 “What the hell!?” Stretch hissed, taking a step back. The monster stepped over Blue, walking towards Stretch.  Stretch grit his teeth as he backed into a tree.

 “I **t see** _ms_ I at _tac_ **ke** d **th** e wr ** _o ng o_**ne. I **t’s no _t o_** _f te_n _I make_ a n ** err**o ** _r,_** ” The monster sounded curious.

 Stretch growled, one socket blank, the other sporting a bright orange eyelight. Gold magic began misting from the socket like fire before eight more blasters materialized. Razz cocked his head to the side watching curiously. His brother couldn’t summon that many. Stretch had some explaining to do. Or maybe Slim just needed to work harder?

 The blasters released streams of energy, so bright Razz had to close his eyes. When he opened them, the offending monster was literally in pieces. Black goo littered the clearing in lumps, staining the snow, trees, everything with the stuff.

 “Sans!” Stretch said panting hard. Stretch ran over to Blue quickly. “Sans, are you alright?” Stretch asked softly. Razz frowned watching as Stretch coddled his younger brother. Blue’s reply was too soft for Razz to hear. Razz scoffed and looked away.

 A glob in front of him twitched. Razz took a step towards it and it moved. Razz frowned looking around at the many globs warily, as they bubbled, oozed and began _crawling._ The black globs were inching towards each other, likely to reassemble the monster.

 With a growl Razz stepped out from behind the tree flicking his wrist. The whip cracked against the blob of ooze near him splattering the black substance to smaller, slower pieces.

 “Razz?” Blue sounded puzzled. Razz frowned at Blue. Behind Blue and Stretch a glob grew, a skeletal hand clawing at the snow and twitching the black ooze formed an arm and began forming more.  Razz marched forward and slashed his whip at the forming monster until it melted back into the snow staining the snow black.

 "W-what _is this stuff!?_ ” Blue demanded.

 “We need to move. It’s going to keep coming back together,” Razz snapped impatiently at the two. Seriously. Did these two have any sense of self-preservation?  Stretch looked at him in surprise and Blue’s white eyelights slowly flickered into existence.

 “I don’t feel good,” Blue groaned, wiping some of the black substance off of his face. Razz cracked his whip against another glob as it crawled past.

 “Razz!” Stretch said in surprise. Razz felt _something_ grip his ankle and pull. Razz yelped, as he hit the snow, a black slippery substance quickly began sliding up his leg.

 “ **Yo** u! **_Yo_** u ar **e _n_** _’t_ ** _sup_ po**sed _t **o b**_ **e** he _re_ ** _! T_** _h_ **is _ch_** _a_ nge _s th **i n**_gs ** _. ” _**Razz looked around for the source of the voice, but he didn’t see anyone. Just a few smaller blobs, inching their way around the clearing. One such blob was attached to his ankle and crawling up his leg.

 “Razz! Stay still, we’ll help, uh, somehow!” Blue said sounding worried. Razz rolled his eyes and Razz slammed the whip down, splattering the ooze that had wrapped around his leg and lashing his own leg in the process.

 “Fuck!” Razz grit his teeth. That had hurt more than he had expected. Razz had a high tolerance for pain, but with the beating from both this monster and Alphys he was really pushing things. Razz snarled and quickly took his frustration out on the remaining globs, splattering them to droplets with his whip.

 “ ** _T_** o _o st_ **ro n**g,” The monster wherever he was hissed out and there was a snapping sound. A grey door materialized from thin air between two trees.

“What the hell!?” Razz demanded. The door opened, slowly with a creak. On the other side of the door seemed to be complete and utter darkness. So much so that the light around the door seemed to fade, as if wherever the door led to consumed light. The globs Razz had been breaking with his whip moved quickly now, rolling towards the door.

 “Hey!” Razz snarled smacking his whip into a few of the slower globs. The door slammed shut and the door disappeared. As if it had never been there. The blobs left behind stilled. Razz growled and smacked one of them with his whip splattering black goo. None of it tried to move this time.

 “I think it’s gone,” Razz turned towards Stretch and Blue.

 “W-what was that thing?” Blue asked softly. Stretch looked sick and he shook his head before checking Blue over.

 “I-I’m not sure bro. Come on we need to get out of here,” Stretch said after a moment, his voice wavering. Stretch glanced at Razz who stared back at him. Stretch looked away and he quickly teleported himself and Blue, likely back to the house. Razz scowled. Stretch had to be lying. Stretch looked _beyond_ terrified. Stretch had fought Slim without breaking a sweat. Although disturbing this monster shouldn’t have scared Stretch so much. Stretch knew something.

 Razz stomped back towards where he had left his brother, with a sigh of frustration. His leg ached from the self-inflicted lash and if he were being honest his ribs still hurt too. H didn’t have time to be injured, Razz needed answers.

 Who was this strange disgusting monster? What had it wanted with Blue? What had it wanted with Slim? It had attacked Slim in Razz’s timeline after all. It had to be the same monster, it seemed to recognize Razz. Would it come back for Blue and Slim again? Razz sped up his pace. It had been a mistake to leave his brother alone, _what if-_

 Razz’s thoughts broke off as he entered the town. Razz let out a small sigh of relief. Slim was sitting dutifully where Razz had left him, drawing rude pictures in the snow with a single phalange. Razz cracked the whip next to his brother, and he smirked seeing how it had made Slim jump.

 “Get up. Take us back to their ridiculous house,” Razz snapped, and he let the whip fade away. Slim stood quickly. He didn’t ask any questions, like a good dog, and gently gripped Razz’s shoulder. Razz closed his eyes. He hated his brother’s shortcuts. They made him nauseous, and he hated the feeling of the world disappearing beneath his feet for even a moment, but they were useful and had saved his life on multiple occasions. When Razz opened his eyes, they were in Stretch and Blue’s living room. Blue and Stretch were standing in front of the television, arguing.

 “It feels so gross! Papy, _I’m fine_. Let me go take a shower and get this stuff off!” Blue huffed at Stretch who was hovering over Blue like a mother hen. Blue had his arms crossed, staring up at Stretch patiently.

 “But can you move all your fingers? What about your toes? Are you sure nothing is broken or-” Blue rolled his eyes at Stretch as he rambled on and glanced at Razz and Slim.

 “Oh, Slim! Are you okay? Were you attacked too?” Blue was frowning at the crack on Slim’s face. Slim shifted slightly, sliding his hands in his jacket pockets before giving a noncommittal shrug.

 “...Okay,” Blue said his frown deepening.

 “Are you sure you’re okay Sans?” Stretch asked his eyelights full of worry. Blue forced a smile.

 “Definitely! I mean, I really wasn’t hurt, just surprised? And you and Razz got rid of it! It’s gone now so. . . everything’s fine, right?” Blue shifted slightly, his smile wavering.

 “What happened? You were attacked?” Slim asked softly, stepping forward. Slim shifted again and he actually looked worried. Razz grit his teeth hard, feeling another wave of rage boil within him. Slim was _worried_ about Blue!?

_*_

_“Papyrus, I’m home.”_

  _“.  . .”_

" _I’m alive. No thanks to you.”_

  _“. . .”_

  _Razz sighed, staring at his brother who was lying on the couch staring up at the ceiling blankly._

  _“It’s pretty bad out there. There’s dust everywhere. Were you even worried about me?” Razz asked softly. Slim sighed loudly. As if Razz was disturbing something very important. Slowly, Slim’s blank eyelights finally met Razz’s and Slim shrugged. Razz swallowed hard. “Do you even care?” Razz asked, voice watery._

  _“. . . no.” Slim said._

_*_

 “Razz!? Stop it! Razz! Stop it! _Stop it! . . ._ SANS!”

 Razz blinked away the memory and tried to make sense of what was going on around him. There was an uncomfortable pressure around his neck and Slim, no, Stretch was face to face with him, yelling his name. Stretch was manhandling him, _again_ , Razz realized. Stretch had Razz pressed up against the wall, pinning him by the hand wrapped around Razz’s throat.

  _How dare he!?_

 “What the fuck was that man!?” Stretch demanded staring at Razz as if _he_ was the one doing something wrong. Razz wasn’t the one holding people against their will against walls. Razz kicked out hard, slamming his boot into Stretch’s knee.

 Stretch grunted, but didn’t release him. “Put me down!” Razz growled out.

 "Are you going to stop?” Stretch demanded.

 “Stop what!?” Razz demanded. Stretch’s frown deepened. Stretch was silent staring at Razz as if searching for something. Just when Razz was about to kick the skeleton again Stretch sighed.

 “Stars. You really have a screw loose don’t you?” Stretch muttered and he let go of Razz. Razz landed on his feet and scowled up at Stretch. “You really don’t remember?” Stretch asked.

 “Remember what?” Razz growled out. Razz clenched his fists fighting down the urge to slam Stretch’s stupid face repeatedly into the wall and glanced around.

_Oh._

 Slim looked like shit. More so than usual. Slim was covered in scrapes, cracks, and bruises that hadn’t been there before. It looked like someone had beaten the shit out of him. Razz had an idea on who that might have been.

  Blue was trembling slightly, cleaning some of the more serious looking cracks Slim sported with alcohol wipes from a first aid next to him.

 Razz hoped it would fucking _sting_.

 “You don’t remember attacking your bro at all?” Stretch drawled next to Razz. Razz rolled his eyelights crossing his arms. It had been a long time since he had had a blackout like that. It didn’t happen often, but, when it did. . .

 Razz sighed and scowled up at Stretch. “No. I don’t remember. It’s usually worse than this, how did you stop me?” Razz asked.

 “Does this happen often?” Stretch demanded.

 “No.” Razz said truthfully. Stretch sighed shaking his head.

 “I yelled your name. Your real name, and I slammed you against the wall a few times,” Stretch said pulling a cigarette out of his pocket.

 “Not in the house!” Blue snapped giving Stretch a warning look. Stretch gave Blue a sheepish look before sliding the offending cigarette back into his hoodie pocket.

 “I’m fine, really. You don’t need to do this,” Slim said to Blue softly, as Blue went back to patching Slim up.

 “You have blackouts?” Stretch asked. Razz huffed.

 “Sometimes, when I get very angry, I see red. When I come out of it, well,” Razz motioned towards Slim. “Anyway. It almost never happens now,” Razz shrugged.

 “Oh, I see. So, most of the time when you hurt your bro it’s a conscious decision,” Stretch drawled angrily. Razz flipped Stretch off.

 Razz really hadn’t meant to hurt Slim this time. He _should_ apologize. Slim hadn’t done anything to deserve that, not really.

 “Yeah Stretch, now you’re getting it. Want a demonstration?” Razz stepped forward before smacking Slim upside the head. Slim went completely still flinching slightly. Blue made a noise that suspiciously sounded like a growl.

 “Razz Stop it!” Blue scolded, his sockets narrowing at Razz.  “This behavior is unacceptable!”

 Razz should take a walk. Cool down. Apologize.

Razz smirked at Blue, raising a brow bone.

 “Yeah? Who’s gonna stop me? You?” Razz gave Blue a feral grin. Blue scowled, his cheeks dusting a blue tint in anger. Razz tried not to laugh. The little skeleton looked adorable in his anger.

 “I will.” Stretch growled from behind Razz. His voice had lowered an octave and it sent a small chill up Razz’s spine. Razz turned and smirked at the taller skeleton.

 Stars. He just wanted to break Stretch. Wipe that smug look off his face.

 “You know I can still call Alphys. Have you sit in the dungeon until we figure out how to get rid of you,” Stretch said crossing his arms. Razz chuckled softly.

 “Do it. I _dare_ you.” Razz growled.

 “M’lord’s not hurting anyone. T-there’s no need for that,” Slim said softly. Razz smirked. Such a good dog, always rushing to Razz’s defense. Stretch stared at Slim as if Slim had grown another head.

 “He’s hurting _you_ man!” Stretch hissed.

 “I d-don’t count. It’s fine, really,” Slim said his eyelights trailing to the floor.

 “That’s not true!” Blue yelled slamming the first aid shut causing Slim to jump. “You do count, and it’s not okay!” Blue scowled at Razz and Razz grinned back.

 “Razz, we are letting you stay here out of kindness! You need to _try_ to be nice to Slim. _He’s your brother_!” Blue said.

 “Bite me,” Razz winked. Blue gave Razz a stunned look, as if he completely expected Razz to agree to his demands. “Kick me out if you don’t like it. Mutt will come with me, you know. You won’t accomplish anything. My brother follows his master everywhere,” Razz said with a shrug.

 “Master!? Stars, what is _wrong_ with you?” Stretch demanded. Razz’s sockets narrowed.

 “Nothing! I’m fine!” Razz snapped.

 “You are so fucked up, man.” Stretch said shaking his head.

 “Papy! Language!” Blue scolded.

 “Sorry bro,” Stretch sighed. Blue sighed loudly, giving his brother an exhausted look. Blue frowned glancing from Slim than to Razz.

 “What’s the verdict Boss? You kicking us out?” Razz drawled sarcastically.

 “. . .no,” Blue said crossing his arms. “But how you treat your brother is still unacceptable.”

 “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t care,” Razz scoffed.

 “So, every time you hurt him, I’m going to give you a tally,” Blue said thoughtfully. Razz burst into laughter.

 “A… tally? What am I five?”

“You act it,” Stretch said. Razz’s fist crashed into Stretch’s would be stomach hard.

 “Ah! You _asshole_ -” Stretch growled.

 “Language! And Razz? That’s a tally,” Blue gave both of them a look of frustration. Blue took out a small notebook, making a mark.

 “So, what do these tallies do? If I get ten do I lose recess?” Razz grinned nastily at Blue.

 “Each tally is an hour my brother doesn’t help you get home when he normally would have,” Blue said firmly. Razz frowned.

 “What!?” Razz demanded. “You _can’t_ be serious.”

 “Bro, you know I actually want them to leave right!? They’ll be here forever if we do that,” Stretch said sockets widening.

 “Well Razz better stop hurting people then, or he's going to be here for a very long time,” Blue said with a shrug. Razz growled.

 Fuck.

 ***

Slim

 Slim wasn’t exactly sure what he had done to incur his lord’s wrath. He knew he was going to be punished for leaving the house and speaking, but he had expected that punishment to be in private and later.

 He had asked what had happened to Blue, and suddenly his lord had went at him like a pitbull. He couldn’t figure out what he had done wrong.

 Slim wasn’t sure it even mattered. If his lord wanted to hurt him, it was his right to do so. Did his lord really even need a reason?

 “This tally system is stupid! You want us to leave, you must want that. Stretch wants that!” Razz growled.

 “Razz, you’re the one who controls how fast you get home,” Blue said with a shrug. “All you have to do is not hurt people and my brother will help you all he can,” Blue said, and he smiled. It almost looked innocent too.

 “I underestimated your cunning,” Razz sighed, pouting angrily. Well, his lord seemed fairly calm. Maybe Slim could finally learn who had attacked Blue?

 “I’m going to take a shower and get this stuff off,” Blue said gesturing towards the black crust that coated most of his bones.

 “Slim, come smoke with me?” Stretch asked. Slim glanced at Razz. Razz rolled his eyes but gave a slight nod of permission. Slim stood up quickly. Stars he needed a cig.

 “Razz, don’t kill any small animals while I’m gone,” Stretch drawled. Razz flipped Stretch off and Slim followed his double out of the front door. The cool air of Snowdin gave his aching bones some relief. Slim sighed drawing out a cigarette and lighting it quickly.

 “Man, why do you let your bro do that shit to you?” Stretch asked with a sigh, lighting his own cigarette. Slim closed his eyes taking a long hit.

 “I’ve told you before, I deserve it.” Slim flicked the ashes into the snow.

 “No one deserves that,” Stretch said firmly.

 “You have no idea what I’ve done,” Slim said, looking away from Stretch.

 “I don't care what you’ve done. I guarantee you don’t deserve it,” Stretch scoffed. “You know you can stop him, right? I’ve seen you fight. You’re strong enough to stop him. You _let_ him do that shit. Stop letting Razz hurt you,” Stretch said.

 “. . . You don’t get it. He needs it, and I deserve it,” Slim took another hit.

 “He _needs_ it?” Stretch demanded. Slim was silent for a moment ignoring the other’s constant staring.

 “M’lord has a lot of anger, and it’s _my_ fault. If punishing me helps him feel better, or get control, why stop him?”

 “Because it hurts you!? Look, your brother doesn’t need to hurt you Slim, he needs a star damned exorcism,” Stretch growled. Slim snorted in surprise, and he looked away, hiding his grin.

 “What happened to Blue?” Slim asked taking his last hit, changing the subject. Stretch sighed flicking his own cigarette butt, watching it fall.

 “He was attacked. By Dr. G,” Stretch sighed. Slim choked on the remains of his cigarette.

 “What!?” Slim demanded.

 “Yeah. He was uh, just like you said. All melting and gross and, stars he was so disturbing. I honestly think it was the same version that attacked you. He seemed to recognize Razz,” Stretch said softly. Slim swore loudly.

 “This is bad,” Slim said taking a deep breath. This was really bad.

 “Yeah, I know. He left, through this gray door that appeared. It was really weird. I think it might have led to the void? The other side was completely dark, and cold, and felt like nothingness.  But yeah, we need to be prepared in case the doctor comes back.  I don’t think that’s the last time we’ll see him. I have no idea what we are going to tell the Sanses,” Stretch sighed.

 “The truth.” Razz’s voice was sharp and cold. Stretch and Slim turned to see Razz standing behind them in the doorway with his arms crossed. Blue was standing next to him looking curious.

 “Papy? Who’s this Dr. G?”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [ Slim and Razz's ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtZk8meJJVE) relationship is not the healthiest ;) 
> 
> Also Gaster, seriously, WTF. 
> 
> And come on now SLim, Stretch, you should know better than to talk about secret stuff RIGHT by the front door.


	9. The thing about snow globes. . .

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stretch and Slim have some explaining to do.
> 
> AKA
> 
> the one where Razz is a complete delight as always.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So good news all, our weekly tuesday updates are back on schedule. (But Chaos it's monday night.) Shhh.
> 
> Trigger Warning: Self-harm. Light (?) Angst. Slight emotional abuse. (Mind the updated tags *points* )
> 
> I'm gonna be honest guys, what I consider not angst is usually light angst so my light angst is probably regular angst. (but maybe not?) Eh, lemme know!

***

Stretch

 Stretch swallowed hard staring at his brother’s questioning eyelights. Stretch briefly glanced away to Razz. This, Stretch realized, was a mistake. Razz’s ice cold eyelights seemed to burn into Stretch before Razz gave him an impatient look. What was Stretch supposed to say? Neither Blue or Razz _remembered_ Doctor Gaster. Stretch flinched just thinking of the previous royal scientist’s true name.

 “Start talking before I motivate you,” Razz growled.

 “Razz,” Blue scolded. “No threats.” Blue’s bright eyelights stared at Stretch patiently. “Papy? Who’s this Dr. G? Was he the monster that attacked us? Do you know him?” Blue frowned.

 Stretch dug into his pocket, pulling out another cigarette. He lit it with magic and took a long hit staring at the snow, ignoring Razz and Blue’s noises of disgust.

 “Okay,” Stretch sighed. Slim’s sockets narrowed at him in suspicion. It was the first semi threatening look he’d received from the yellow eyed skeleton since their fight. “You know the CORE, right?”

 “Yeah,” Blue said with a frown.

 “Where is this going?” Razz demanded.

 “Who made the CORE?” Stretch asked. Blue frowned and Razz raised a brow bone.

 “The previous royal scientist,” Razz snapped impatiently. Razz stepped forward, staring at Stretch as if he were mud under the captain’s boots. “What does this have to do with anything?”

 “What’s the scientist’s name? The one who invented the CORE?” Stretch asked. Razz’s sockets narrowed, and he huffed, giving Stretch an impatient look.

 “What does this have to do with anything?” Razz demanded.

 “What’s the scientists name?” Stretch asked, staring at Razz coolly.

“I don’t recall.” Razz said.

 “Me either,” Blue admitted, his brow furrowed.

 “No one remembers his name. No one remembers _him_. Everyone knows the previous royal scientist created CORE, but no one knows anything about him.” Stretch explained softly. Slim shifted looking uncomfortable, giving Stretch a pleading look. Stretch knew Slim didn’t want him telling Blue and Razz about Gaster but Stretch had to tell them something. The truth, at least some of it, just seemed easier. Maybe Stretch could keep it vague?

 “How does someone just get forgotten like that?” Blue asked softly, his sockets wide.

 “I’m not sure bro. But I think that the monster that attacked you was the previous scientist. Everyone I’ve talked to doesn’t seem to remember him or his name, so, I call him Dr. G,” Stretch said frowning at the butt of his cigarette before throwing it into the snow. He was going to have to buy a new pack at the rate he was smoking.  

 Stretch wasn’t exactly lying to Blue. No one did remember Doctor Gaster or his name. Besides Stretch and Slim that is. But Stretch never said _they_ didn’t remember, just people he’s talked to. So, it technically wasn’t a lie, right? Stretch was just hoping that Razz and Blue would assume he and Slim also didn’t remember.

 Razz’s eyelights were focused on Stretch. He was frowning looking deep in thought. “If no one remembers this guy, how do you two know about him?” Razz gave both Stretch and Slim an accusing stare. Slim seemed to shrink into his hoodie, his eyelights down cast.

 “I used to work at the labs,” Stretch said softly. That was true of course, but not at all where Stretch remembered the doctor from. Well, at least, he hadn’t been _working_ at the labs. He had been _in_ the labs.

 “What else? You must know more about this scientist. When I first described him, you had a panic attack,” Razz’s eyelights seemed to bore into Stretch. Stretch stared challengingly back. How was he going to get out of this one? He was going to have to outright lie, wasn’t he? He was lying to Razz, not Blue, so it was different. Besides, lying was a small price to pay to save his little brother from the painful memories of their childhood, right?

 “Look Razz, I _don’t_ remember. Before today all I knew about him was that he existed. I wasn’t even sure what he looked like except for the holes in each palm. All I know that no one could remember him, and that thinking about him is unpleasant for me.” Stretch said looking way. Unpleasant feelings were an understatement. Razz didn’t look entirely convinced, but he didn’t call Stretch out on his blatant lies either.

 “I’m certain the monster who attacked Blue and you two in your timeline is the same monster. That its Dr. G.” Stretch said staring at the ground hard. “But I’m thinking he’s your version, not mine.” Stretch glanced from Slim to Razz. At least he hoped it was their version. His version of the doctor wasn’t still alive. He couldn’t be.  

 “What does he want with us?” Blue asked. Blue looked stiff and wrung his hands together nervously. Stretch clenched his fists looking at Blue with worry.

 What _had_ Gaster been trying to do to Blue anyway? He had seemed surprised that Stretch had a blaster, and not Blue. As far as Stretch knew Slim had a blaster and not Razz as well. Were there universes where Sanses had blasters? This version of Gaster seemed to have expected Blue to have one. Maybe this Gaster _wasn’t_ Slim and Razz’s version after all. Maybe he was someone completely different from a completely different universe.

 Stretch shivered and dug his hands into his hoodie pockets. What was causing all these alternate universe visits? Was it the anomaly?

 “I don’t know what he wants bro, but, he’s dangerous,” Stretch answered Blue realizing he had been staring into space and that Blue was still waiting for an answer.

 “Why didn’t you want me to know?” Blue asked staring at Stretch searchingly. Stretch felt his soul sink slightly with guilt.

 “I didn’t wanna worry you bro. I mean, the guy was disturbing enough as it was. I thought mentioning that I probably once worked with the guy and that not only is he dangerous but somehow the world’s forgotten about him, would just be more upsetting.” Stretch rubbed the back of his skull giving Blue a sheepish look. He hated this. He hated lying. But it was worth it. He didn’t want to chance Blue _remembering_. This was better.

 “Oh,” Blue said accepting the lie. “Well you didn’t have to do that,” Blue wrung his hands together again, still looking nervous. “I can handle this stuff Papy, I’m not a baby bones anymore!” Blue looked up at Stretch with a determined look. Stretch smiled. His bro was so cool. “You don’t have to try and protect me like that all the time. Besides we should all know all we can about this monster. He will probably attack again,” Blue said, his expression becoming thoughtful.

 “Yeah, your right, sorry bro,” Stretch sighed and he stepped forward. “But you’ll always be my _little_ bro,” Stretch grinned resting his hand on the top of his brother’s skull.

 “Was that a pun about my height!?” Blue yelled his eyelights bulging. Stretch broke into laughter.

 “What, Sans, I would never stoop so _low_ ,” Stretch grinned at Blue. Blue all but pouted up at him and crossed his arms giving a long-suffering sigh.

 “Papy! Quit it! That’s not funny!” Stretch broke into laughter.

 “Sorry bro, couldn’t help it.” Blue gave a small impatient huff. Stretch glanced over to the other pair of brothers who were being far too quiet. Razz was staring at Slim with his arms crossed and his sockets narrowed. Slim was digging his claw like fingers into his jacket avoiding Razz’s gaze. An unspoken tension seemed to be growing between the two.

 “Mutt, you lied to me.” Razz all but growled. Slim flinched and his eyelights flickered down to the snow.

 “N-no I didn’t. I’d never do that M’lord,” Slim’s voice was quiet, submissive even. It made Stretch want to punch Razz right in the face.

 “You said you had no idea who attacked you!” Razz growled taking a threatening step towards his brother, his eyelights shining in anger. Slim immediately took a step back, his sockets widening. “Clearly, you _did_ have an idea. Go on. Explain to me why you thought the fact that you knew who our attacker was wasn’t worth mentioning to me?” Razz’s voice had dipped low to a soft, dangerous tone. Slims eyelights shrank, and he began trembling slightly.

 “I-I-. . .” Slim’s voice cracked and he closed his sockets, shrinking into his jacket.

 Stretch grit his teeth his soul sinking. Slim was actually afraid of Razz, wasn’t he? Stretch had thought (or maybe hoped) that Slim was just was too passive and apathetic to bother to try and stop Razz’s abuse, not that he was truly afraid of Razz.

 When Razz had blacked out and started attacking Slim, Slim took it with a resigned look. Slim hadn’t tried to defend himself, but he also hadn’t flinched or cowered like he was doing now.  Slim had just seemed to accept the situation and let Razz beat the shit out of him with an indifferent look. But now Slim was shaking so hard his bones were clacking together. Stretch’s soul sunk further. Did Razz treat Slim _better_ during his blackouts than when he was aware and angry with his brother!? Stretch grit his teeth.

 “Leave him alone,” Stretch snapped, surprised at the edge that had slipped into his voice. Razz turned to stare at him, a look of annoyed disbelief on his face. Like someone might give to their rowdy teenager who had been acting out.

 “Excuse me?” Razz snarled.

 “You heard me,” Stretch said glaring down at the shorter skeleton. “Leave Slim _alone._ Haven’t you done enough?” Razz clenched his fists at his sides, his jaw tightening as he stared up at Stretch. Stretch met Razz’s ice colored eyelights with a challenge. He wasn’t gonna be the one to back down. He was _so_ tired of Razz’s attitude. Where the hell did Razz get the balls to treat people, to treat his own brother, like this? Stretch had had enough of the short skeleton.

 “Why are you defending him?” Razz demanded, a look of genuine confusion lurking in his cold gaze. Stretch frowned at Razz as disgust and repulsion burned like acid in the back of his mouth. What had gone so wrong between these twisted versions of himself and his brother?

 “Because he’s your _brother,_ Razz, Stars. You treat him like garbage, and it’s not right. He doesn’t deserve it.” For a moment, a single moment Stretch thought something he said might have gotten through to the short captain. Razz had stiffened, his eyelights shrinking staring at Stretch looking completely caught off guard.

 The moment passed and Razz burst into laughter. Stretch scowled, clenching his fists at his side. “That’s hilarious,” Razz grinned maliciously, giving Stretch a cruel look. “You actually think he’s a person? It’s cute!”  Razz chuckled again his eyelights glowing softly in his amusement. Blue looked completely appalled and Stretch tried to simmer the anger boiling within his bones.

 “He **is** a person.”  Stretch spat through grit teeth.

 “Mm. He lost that privilege a long time ago.” Razz shrugged. “But, I suppose I’m feeling generous,” Razz’s eyelights landed to Slim who was still cowering into his hoodie. Slim’s bones clacked together softly under Razz’s gaze. “Mutt, I won’t punish you for lying to me. This time.”

 Slim nodded, still trembling where he stood.  Razz frowned crossing his arms. “Aren’t you going to thank me?” Razz demanded with an impatient look. Blue’s jaw went slack, as he stared at Razz looking horrified. Stretch swallowed hard as his soul swelled with rage. Stretch couldn’t remember the last time he had been this angry. Maybe in the human’s early days? When the pain of the human’s genocidal path was still fresh and new?

 “T-thank y-you M’lord.” Slim whispered his voice wavering. His sockets were shut tightly and to Stretch’s distress his alternate had begun to dig his claw like phalanges into his own radius clawing at the bone, chipping off small thin flakes.

 Razz gave an annoyed huff, rolling his eyelights. “That was utterly pathetic. You hardly sounded sincere,” Razz sniffed in indignation. Slim swallowed hard, and shuddered. His claws seemed to dig deeper at his radius. “But, I suppose that will have to do. Now _Stop that._ You know how much it pisses me off.” Razz closed the distance between himself and Slim before gripping his brother’s wrist, pulling his hand away from his agitated ulna. Slim froze his breath hitching at his brother’s contact, a panicked look in his eyelights. Razz sighed before grabbed his brother’s chin jerking his skull, making Slim face him. Slim shut his sockets again, tightly.

 “Look at me.” Razz growled.

 “I’m sorry! I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Slim whimpered, his sockets opening, his eyelights tiny pinpricks of yellow. Slim shivered repeating the apologetic mantra. Razz rolled his eyelights.

 “Well you _should_ be sorry! Now, stop this,” Razz squeezed his brother’s wrist hard and motioned at the other arm now sporting Slims claw marks. Slim nodded quickly.

 “Y-yes M’lord.” Slim whispered. Razz scowled before releasing his hold on his brother’s arm. Slim quickly drew his arms behind himself as if afraid Razz would demand for the arm back.

“And if you lie to me again,” Razz said his voice deepening and he whispered something to his brother. Razz’s words were too low for Stretch to catch, but he could only assume it was a cruel and unusual threat. Slim nodded and trembled sputtering out more apologies in response to whatever Razz had said. Razz gave an impatient sigh, before turning and leaving his brother cowering in the snow.  

 Razz gave Stretch and Blue an unimpressed look as he walked by. Stretch narrowed his sockets at the short captain. Razz was such an asshole. Stretch had no other word for him. Stretch was actively trying not to lash out at Razz and Blue looked completely stricken.

 “Tomorrow we are going to the labs. We’ll see what your Undyne knows, if anything, about Doctor G,” Razz said. It was more of an order than a request and Razz didn’t bother waiting for a response from them before Razz walked into the house slamming the door behind him.

 “He’s such a dick!” Stretch growled.

 “Papy, language,” Blue scolded and he turned towards Slim who was still trembling a few feet from them. “Slim, are you okay?” Blue asked gently.

 ***

Blue

 Blue couldn’t understand how Razz could treat his own brother so badly. Blue had had his suspicions when he had met Slim of course, but he had never really imagined it would be this bad. Seeing a version of his brother look so broken and fearful was like a knife to Blue’s soul.

 Slim didn’t answer Blue, and Slim had buried his face into the side of his hood. Blue slowly walked towards the tall skeleton, careful not to make any sudden movements.

 “Slim?” Blue said quietly. Slim didn’t seem to hear him, the tall skeleton was whispering something to himself, seeming lost in his own world. Slim looked utterly terrified. Blue frowned before wrapping his arms around the skeleton’s waist in a tight hug. Slim went rigid and he gasped audibly.  

 Blue smiled up at Slim, forcing his eyelights to turn into stars. they naturally turned to stars when Blue was really happy, but, he could force it when he wanted to, like now.

 “Hey, Slim, why don’t we go inside, okay? We can watch more movies, I have a bunch I got from Undyne, you know?” Blue asked forcing a chipper tone to his voice. Slim obviously wasn’t okay, and Slim didn’t seem like he was in a space to talk about it. Maybe Blue could at least distract the distressed skeleton, and help him get back to a safe space and gain some peace of mind?

 Slim nodded quietly, looking down at Blue in awe, as if Blue was something rare and precious. Blue hesitantly let go of the taller skeleton. Stretch was watching them both quietly, an unreadable expression on his face. Blue would almost think his brother was bored or uninterested except for how tightly his brother’s jaw was clasped.

 "Sounds like a good plan,” Stretch agreed his eyelights leaving the two and Stretch quickly walked to the front door. Blue frowned. Papy was really angry. Likely at Razz, but being angry wasn’t going to make Slim feel any better. Stretch turned the door knob and his sockets widened in surprise.

 “What is it Papy?” Blue asked.

 “That asshole locked the door!” Stretch said in disbelief.

 “Language!” Blue scolded. Honestly, between Papy and Razz he was going to have to make a swear jar at this point.

 “I swear to Asgore,” Stretch grumbled, disappearing with a soft pop. A moment later the door opened from the inside, Stretch still muttering to himself under his breath.

 “He _knows_ we can teleport why the hell-” Stretch growled. Blue walked in shaking his head at his older brother and Slim hesitantly followed.

 Blue quickly fixed up the blanket nest he had left abandoned this morning, preparing it for tonight’s use. The attack from the melting skeleton had eaten up a good portion of the day, but it was still early evening so Blue picked out at least three movies he thought Slim might like.

 Blue frowned. He wasn’t sure what Slim liked at all. The skeleton spoke very little about himself. Actually, Slim spoke very little period, usually only speaking when addressed and often with as few words as possible.

 “Hey, Slim, what kind of movie would you rather see? Napstabot’s musical on ice or one of Doctor Undyne’s human anime’s?” Blue asked. Slim jumped slightly at being addressed. Slim was hovering by the doorway his hands stuffed in his pockets staring blankly at the floor.

 “Uh.” Slim shivered slightly. “Whatever you want to see.” Blue raised a browbone at the tall skeleton. This would be trickier than Blue originally thought.

 “Oh good,” Blue grinned brightly. “Because I want to watch the one you pick. So, come pick one out,” Blue said firmly. Slim blinked, looking confused. Hesitantly, the tall skeleton wandered over, his golden eyelights scanning over the pile of old VHS tapes Blue had in front of him.

 Blue waited patiently for Slim to pick one out and he glanced over at his brother who had his phone out, frowning down at it.

 “Papy? Can you go ask Razz if he’d like to join our movie marathon?” Blue asked. Stretch looked up from his phone in shock.

 “You’re _not_ serious!” Stretch demanded. Blue sighed. He could understand the sentiment. Slim was still, clearly, rattled and Razz was the source of the tall skeleton’s condition. In fact, Razz was growing increasingly more unpleasant. What he had done to Slim today was unacceptable, even if he had not been aware or in control of his earlier actions. It was a problem. Still, it was rude to disclude Razz, and despite Razz’s mistreatment of Slim, Slim obviously cared about his brother. Discluding Razz would only upset both skeletons.

 “He’s our guest Papy,” Blue said, hoping Stretch would trust his judgement.

 “No, he’s our pest,” Stretch sighed but he put his phone away and made his way up the stairs in search for Razz.

 “Is this one okay?” Slim asked hesitantly, and Blue turned and smiled.

 “Perfect,” Blue said gripping the Napstabot music video compendium. It was about two hours of Napstabot’s most popular songs and music videos. It wasn’t much of a movie but if this is what Slim wanted Blue would most certainly play it.

 ***

Razz

 Razz felt odd, for lack of a better term. This time period sickened him. It was a snow globe world. It looked beautiful, precious even, and was contained in a little bubble of protection. The people in it were overly cheerful, friendly, and bright. Blue especially and even Stretch. Ugh. Blue. Blue was so sweet it made Razz’s teeth ache. Razz sighed frowning. Nobody seemed to realize that snow globes shatter _so easily._

 Razz scoffed looking down at the half finished knitted orange turtleneck in his hands. He had found it in Blue’s closet in a box labeled projects. It was far too long for Blue. It was clearly intended for his brother. It matched Slim’s turtleneck perfectly. Razz squeezed the soft knitted material gently.

  _*_

_“Papy? I know you’ve been really depressed lately. Don’t think I haven’t noticed!”_

  _Slim sighed taking another hit of his cigarette, his golden eyelights flickering over to his brother. Razz gave a patient smile. He had asked Slim not to smoke in the house, but it seemed his brother needed more and more reminders lately. He’d let it slide this time._

  _“Yeah. Guess I have. Sorry, bro,” Slim said after a moment giving Razz a puzzled look._

  _“Well I made you something that might brighten your day,” Razz continued, practically bouncing on the balls of his feet with nervous energy. Slim cocked his head to the side looking semi curious._

 " _Mm? Something for me? You didn’t have to do that.”_

  _“Surprise! It’s a turtleneck! I know how much you like your hoodie but it’s getting awfully cold out there. Colder than usual, don’t you think? Anyway, now you have two warm things you could wear, instead of just the hoodie, or maybe you could wear it under the hoodie-”_

  _“Sans.”_

 " _I’m sorry. I’m rambling,” Razz shifted nervously. “Do you like it?” Razz looked up at Slim grinning with uncontained excitement. He had to like it. Razz had worked so hard on it and-_

  _Slim smiled, a genuine smile. Those were growing more and more rare these days. Slim took the turtleneck gently._

  _“Yeah bro, I love it. It’s amazing.”_

 " _Mweh heh heh! Well of course it is! The Magnificent Sans made it.”_

_*_

 “. . .Ugh!” Razz growled throwing the half-finished turtleneck as if it had burned him. He didn’t _want_ to think about how things used to be. He especially didn’t like it staring him in the face everywhere he went in this disgusting timeline.

 “Razz.” A sharp knock accompanied the sharp voice on the other side of the bedroom door. Razz all but growled. He picked up the offending article of clothing before tossing it back in the box he found it in and he slammed the closet door shut.

 “What?” Razz demanded opening Blue’s bedroom door. Stretch stood on the other side, his hands in his hoodie pocket, a resigned look on his face.

 “Wanted to know if you wanted to come down the stairs and watch movies with us,” Stretch drawled lazily. Razz scowled.

 “Do I _look_ like I want to hang out with you idiots?” Razz demanded. Stretch’s sockets narrowed slightly, and an orange tongue ran across the top row of his teeth in thought.

 “You look sad,” Stretch said after a moment. Razz stiffened. _He wasn’t sad._ Why would he be sad?

 “Fuck off, Stretch!” Razz growled.

 “Is that a no then?” Stretch asked cocking his head to the side. Razz growled and turned the skeleton’s soul blue before launching him down the hall and slamming Blue’s door shut.

 ***

Slim

 Slim liked Napstabot more than he’d care to admit. He liked the robot’s music, he liked the pulsing lights of his music video, and it helped calm his nerves. Just as Slim began to relax, the knot in his soul loosening the sound of a door slamming caused him to jump and the tension to re-coil. Slim glanced warily to the side as Stretch stomped down the stairs muttering obscenities under his breath. Slim let out a slow breath. Nothing was wrong. Everything was okay.

 “Papy,” Blue sighed, “language.” Blue didn’t take his eyelights off the screen.

 “Sorry bro,” Stretch sighed.

 “Is Razz not joining us?” Blue asked glancing over to his brother.

 “No, he says he’s busy. Something about sacrificing kittens to his dark god,” Stretch shrugged. Blue blinked and Slim snorted.

 “What?” Blue demanded.

 “I’m kidding. He just doesn’t want to join us,” Stretch sat next to his brother, his hand snaking into Blue’s bowl of popcorn. Blue had made each of them a bowl, and Stretch’s bowl sat ignored in front of the spot he had sat in.

 “Hey!” Blue whined. Stretch grinned throwing his handful of popcorn into his mouth. Blue scoffed.

 Slim smiled softly. It was nice to see those two interact. There seemed to be no violence between them, just gentle teasing and pure affection. Slim and Razz could never show affection like these two did. It didn’t work in a timeline like Slim’s. Loving someone was a weakness, showing affection to someone was putting a target on their back. Watching Stretch and Blue was like a breath of fresh air. It was confusing, but, nice.

 Slim shifted slightly, his eyelights falling back on the television, trying to pay some kind of attention. His mind was all jumbled. Doctor Gaster was alive. _His version of Doctor Gaster._ Slim quietly slid his sharp claw like phalanges to his ulna digging very softly.

 Slim sighed in relief. The digging stung, of course it did, but, it was grounding. It brought him back to this moment and not the past. That this was now, this was real. It helped him focus. Slim quickly pulled his hand to his side upon realizing that Stretch was frowning in his direction. Slim glanced back at Napstabot on the television screen, avoiding his double’s gaze.

 Slim sighed. He still couldn’t focus. Slim did not want Razz remembering Doctor Gaster. Razz had _enough_ to deal with. Remembering the doctor, remembering long cold nights under the knife and in the laboratory? Slim would do anything to protect his little brother from that.

 Slim sighed. Gaster shouldn’t even be _alive._ It wasn’t possible, was it? Hadn’t Slim _taken care_ of the ‘good’ doctor? He’d prefer to talk to Stretch about it. His memory was fresher, being a younger version of himself, right? Maybe Slim was forgetting some important detail. Slim would have to wait until Blue and Razz were occupied and get Stretch alone.

 “I texted Undyne. Told her I’d stop by tomorrow to ask her a few questions. You know, to see if she remembers anything,” Stretch said causing Slim to slip out of his musings.

 “Don’t you mean we will stop by?” Blue asked with a frown.  Stretch glanced away looking guilty.

 “It’d probably be best if Razz and Slim stay in the house, and I don’t trust Razz unsupervised, so I’d prefer you to stay too, bro. The less people know about Slim and Razz the better. It’s already bad enough Muffet, whoever was in the bar, and Captain Alphys knows there’s another Papyrus and Sans running around,” Stretch explained.

 Slim frowned. Since when was Stretch okay with Razz being near Blue without Stretch being nearby? Stretch was over protective of Blue to a fault. It was unlike the skeleton.

“Undyne’s gotta already know Papy. I’m sure Alphys went to her to ask questions about time travel and stuff,” Blue said. Stretch sighed.

 “Well. . . I guess you have a point. I guess we’ll all go,” Stretch sighed crossing his arms. Slim watched as Stretch seemed to deflate, and it clicked. Undyne wouldn’t remember a thing about Gaster. That’s the real reason Stretch didn’t want Blue or particularly Razz, to go. Well, there was no getting out of it, Razz had made his mind up for them. Maybe this timeline’s Undyne would have an idea on how to get Slim and Razz home?  Then it wouldn’t be a complete waste of a trip?

 Slim shivered. He could hardly remember what Doctor Undyne _used_ to be like. It was all so long ago. He couldn’t envision anything but the wild haired, scarred doctor with her lab coat always coated with a thin layer of dust. The Underground Massacres had hit Undyne worse than most others. She had never been the same since. Of course, neither had Razz. . .

 “Move!” Razz’s sharp voice sent a chill up Slim’s spine and he flinched, ducking his head.

 “Razz! You’ve come to join us!” Blue said with excitement, practically bouncing in his seat. An audible groan came from Stretch to Blue’s left. Razz slid in front of Slim, seating himself in Slim’s lap before resting his back against his brother’s ribcage. Slim froze in shock. This wasn’t the first time Razz had ~~crawled into his big brother’s lap~~ used him as a chair, but Razz hadn’t done it in years. It was arguably affectionate, and Razz was anything but affectionate. Slim certainly hadn’t been expecting it. He hadn’t even heard Razz come down the stairs.

 “M’lord?” Slim blinked in surprise.

 “Shut up.” Razz growled sinking into his brother, his fist wrapping tightly around the left sleeve of Slim’s orange turtleneck. Slim stared down at his brother completely confused, but after several moments Slim began to relax, and watch the movie.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Slim](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1S5NDIc1_3U) needs a hug.
> 
> Sorry if not much happened this chapter, it was a lot of needed exposition, subtle things between characters going on, and some set up for character development (or lack thereof *stares at Razz*) ;)
> 
> As always thank you all so much for reading and commenting and kudoing <3
> 
> Next chapter Undyne gets to meet Slim and Razz! (what could go wrong?) and Stretch has some choiced "words" for Razz. Words.


	10. Time is a flat circle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Swapfell is such a loving and warm place, full of the nicest people in all the multiverse! 
> 
> AKA the one where we have more questions than answers and Blue is a complete sweetheart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHATS THIS AN UPDATE ON TIME!?!?!?
> 
> I know, I know, I'm just as shocked as you are!

***

Stretch

 “Tra la la. . . time is a flat circle.” The river person sang chipperly. Razz huffed, giving the monster an unimpressed look.

 “Really? Is that your bout of wisdom for us? Time is a flat circle? Because that isn’t cryptic as shit!”

 “Razz, we’ve been out of the house for five star damned minutes, could you try to be civil?” Stretch sucked on the cigarette between his teeth. It was too early for Stretch to put up with Razz. Toriel’s pie, it was too early period. He shouldn’t be awake right now.  

 Blue had been delightfully surprised when Stretch had thrown his phone across the room as his alarm blared off at 6 in the god damn morning. Stretch had decided visiting Undyne the earlier, the better. Less monsters would be out and about to see Razz and Slim. The less people, the less damage Razz could do, right? Still Stretch felt exhausted and was beginning to regret not sleeping to a reasonable time and risking Razz terrorizing the local population.

 “I am being civil, I was just asking a question! You want to see me uncivil?  This is me being uncivil,” Razz snapped before shoving the Riverperson hard, off of the boat. Stretch stared open mouthed as the river person splashed into the water, and the boat continued on, taken by the current. Stretch sighed into his palms. He really, really, shouldn’t be surprised by this kind of thing anymore.

 “Razz! That is unacceptable! We- we have to turn the boat back around, go rescue them!” Blue said in shock. Razz burst into laughter and Slim shifted slightly from the far end of the boat where he had perched, glancing back at where the Riverperson had fallen in warily. Stretch frowned concerned. He didn’t see the Riverperson at all, and there were no sounds of splashing. Had the Riverperson sunk? Maybe they couldn’t swim?

 “Tra, la, la! A river cuts through rock not because of its power but because of its _persistence._ ” The river person’s cheerful voice sang as they plopped into the boat from above, causing Stretch to jump, Razz to summon a bone attack and Slim to nearly fall of the boat himself.  Slim cocked his head to the side frowning at the sudden entrance of the Riverperson.

 “What the actual fuck!?” Razz growled looking at the cavern ceiling with a frown. “ _How!?”_

 “. . . I have no idea,” Stretch said blankly.

 “I’m so sorry about Razz, Riverperson! That was very rude of him,” Blue said before giving Razz a disapproving look.

 “Seriously what the hell!? We left them behind that way,” Razz pointed behind them, “how the fuck did they get above us?” Razz demanded. Stretch shrugged. He didn’t care. It was too early to care.

 The river person sang tra la and las quietly, providing no answers for the angry skeleton.

 “Just leave them alone,” Stretch sighed and Razz flipped him off before crossing his arms and scowling at the Riverperson.  The Riverperson paid Razz no mind, staring ahead into the water continuing to sing softly.

 Razz went to shove the river person again when Stretch grabbed the short captain’s wrist. Razz froze and turned his ice eyelights on Stretch.

 “How dare you touch me!” Razz growled from deep within his throat. It’d almost be threatening if Stretch wasn’t completely done with Razz’s behavior.

 “Leave the Riverperson _alone,_ Razzledazzle. I just want to get to Hotland with no interruptions.  I’m sure their patience only goes so far, and I don’t want to get kicked off the boat!” Stretch said frowning. Razz’s sockets narrowed dangerously.

 “Release. Me.” Razz ordered. Stretch smirked and his grip tightened slightly around the other’s wrist.

“Are you going to behave?” Stretch drawled with a sly grin. Razz snarled his eyelights shrinking in rage. Razz’s free hand clenched around Stretch's own wrist, hard. His grip was like icy steel and Razz pried Stretch’s hand off easily. So easily. How strong _was_ Razz? Stretch liked to think of himself as a fairly strong monster, but Razz forced Stretch’s grip to go slack as if Stretch were made of paper.

 Razz, now free of Stretch’s grasp, pulled Stretch hard towards Razz’s side, letting go and ducking out of the way as Stretch toppled over the edge of the boat and fell face first into the river with a splash.

 Stretch sputtered spitting out water, watching as the boat drifted away and hearing Razz’s gruff laughter echo around the cavern.

  _That jerk!_

 With a soft cracking sound Stretch teleported back onto the boat, water dripping from his soaked hoodie.

 “Seriously!?” Stretch growled glaring at Razz who only laughed harder.

 “Papy, are you alright!?” Blue asked, his sockets wide. Razz snorted, a smug look on his features. Stretch frowned digging through his soaked hoodie for the pack of cigarettes. The cigs were probably soaked and completely ruined. Stars above, Stretch was going to kill Razz.

 "Yeah, I’m fine, Sans,” Stretch said to Blue before pulling out the soggy cigarette pack sadly. Stretch inhaled sharply resisting the urge to pick Razz up toss him into the river and watch the captain sink like a rock. Razz was wearing the same armor Stretch had met him in. He’d be doomed to sink, and Stretch was getting seriously tempted. Razz didn’t need to breathe anyway, right?

 Razz must have spent some time polishing and repairing the dents and cracks in the armor because it looked like a completely different chest piece. Sure, it was still a little rough, but much better than it had been.

 Just as Stretch was seriously considering tossing the smaller skeleton overboard the boat came to a stop at the shores of Hotland.

 “Thanks,” Blue said before giving the Riverperson a genuine smile. The small group piled off the boat and headed towards the lab. Stretch sighed staring at the foreboding building anxiously. He had so many memories here. Most of them unpleasant, but some, some weren’t so bad. Stretch glanced at Blue and smiled before knocking on the metal door.

 “J-just a minute!” Undyne’s nervous voice called.

 “Hurry the fuck up! It’s hot out here!” Razz growled. Stretch sighed.

 “Seriously. Are you allergic to being tolerable for five star damn minutes!?” Stretch hissed.

 “What did you say to me!?” Razz growled, and the door burst open, Undyne stood on the other side her yellow eyes wide. She wrung her hands together nervously, looking the group over. Her eyes lingered on Razz than Slim, curiosity quickly overtaking her nervousness.

 “C-come in!” Undyne said with a nervous smile.

 “That’s more like it,” Razz huffed pushing Stretch out of his way and entering the lab. Stretch took a calming breath as Blue and Slim made their way in. Once Stretch was fairly certain he wasn’t going to blast Razz to dust with his gaster blasters, Stretch stepped in after them.

 “This is so surreal,” Undyne remarked standing as close as she dared to Razz. “You look _just_ like Blue!” Razz scoffed crossing his arms, looking away from the scientist.

 “Obviously. We’re the same person.” Razz snapped.

 “A-Alphys said you’re uh, future versions of Sans and Papyrus?” Undyne frowned glancing at Razz than Slim. Slim was leaning against the wall for all intent and purposes he seemed to be trying to be invisible.

 “That’s what the dog thinks,” Razz shrugged.

 “That seems unlikely. If y-you were future versions, surely you’d remember your future selves coming back and interacting with you in your own past?” Undyne looked thoughtful and Razz’s glacial stare landed on Slim who squirmed under his brother’s gaze.

 “If we’re not future versions then our universes are nearly identical,” Slim said softly. Stretch stared blankly at Slim. He hadn’t heard much about their universe, but the idea that it was anything at all like his own was disturbing. What kind of universe could spawn Razz? Nothing pleasant, that was for sure. Stretch refused to believe that there was _any_ chance Blue could _ever_ become someone like Razz, so their universes had to be different. They just had to be.

 “We think they’re future versions,” Stretch said quickly. Honestly, Stretch thought Slim and Razz were the furthest things from his and Blue’s future selves, but he did _not_ want Razz to realize he could kill Blue and Stretch with no risk to his or Slim’s well-being. Undyne frowned but didn’t push the subject. Instead she grinned pulling out a notebook.

 “D-do you mind if I ask you two some questions!? Whether you're time travelers or universe hoppers you're walking proof of theories I never hoped to prove,” Undyne stared in awe at the two new skeletons. Slim looked at her nervously and Razz rolled his eyes.

 “We came to interrogate you, not the other way around,” Razz huffed his sockets narrowing.

 “O-oh. Well I just thought . . . I mean, I could help get you t-two home the more I understand about your universe, you know?” Undyne said nervously avoiding Razz’s glare. Razz sighed rolling his eyelights.

 “Fine. Whatever. Ask your questions. But then you’ll answer mine.” Razz’s eyelights scanned the area looking unimpressed with what he saw.

 “What’s your world or uh time period like? What differences have you noticed?” Undyne asked, holding a notebook and pen at the ready. Razz cocked his head to the side looking Undyne over before giving her a considering look.

 “The dog already told you. This timeline and mine are nearly the same,” Razz said.

 “Nearly the same? What are the differences?” Undyne asked scribbling furiously. Razz frowned slightly.

 “Let me rephrase. This timeline is identical to the way mine was ten years ago,” Razz said. Stretch frowned. Identical? That was impossible. If their timelines had been identical Razz wouldn’t be the demonic pain in Stretch’s ass that he is today, he would have been, well just like Blue. Which was impossible. Stretch found the idea incredibly hard to swallow. He couldn’t picture Razz ever being the bright, welcoming, and warm monster Blue was.

 “What changed?” Undyne asked. Razz grinned tightly, something dangerous flashing in his eyelights and Slim shifted nervously.

 “The monsters used to be friendly, like they are here. No one had any LOVE, people were kind to one another, and monsters were always willing to help one another. They were weak,” Razz looked disgusted. “Then everything changed. Where I come from, now, it’s kill or be killed. You have low LOVE? You’re free EXP. Only the strongest survive. You can’t trust anyone, because everyone’s just waiting to slide a knife in your back,” Razz said it so casually, as if he were talking about the weather and not how seriously messed up his universe was.

 “There’s riots, gang wars, and a rebel force shaking the underground. The rebels are trying to rise up against Queen Toriel and overthrow her. My job, as captain of the Queen's Guard, is to find them and eliminate the queen’s enemies,” Razz said a proud look overtaking his eyelights.  

 Stretch knew Razz and Slim’s universe was going to be bad, judging by Razz and Slim’s overall unpleasant behavior, but still, that sounded like hell. Monsters killing each other? Monsters killing weaker monsters for Execution Points? What the hell? It was disgusting, a crime against nature. Monsters were made of love, hope, and compassion, for monsters to kill each other and treat each other so cruelly, it was an abomination.

 Undyne frowned looking disturbed and Blue shivered.

 “That’s terrible. What caused everything to change? What would make monsters do something like that?” Blue said looking horrified. Slim sighed from his spot against the wall his eyelights dimming.

 “A human came to the underground,” Razz said, and he smiled. It wasn’t a pleasant smile. Slim seemed to shrink in his coat.

 “A h-human!?” Undyne’s eyes widened in shock.

 “Wowzers!” Blue said excitement clear in his bright blue eyes.

 “It had a determined soul,” Razz continued to explain, his eyelights boring into Undyne. Undyne flinched and looked away. “It had this uncanny ability. . .” Razz began his eyelights landing to Stretch. Stretch scowled. He did not like where this was going.

 “Of resetting the timeline. Over, and over, and over again. No one remembered these ‘resets’ except for the human,” Razz said, and he frowned. “And my brother.”  Slim flinched his eyelights staring firmly at the ground. Stretch sighed softly. Well, this certainly was familiar. Did every universe have a psychotic human terrorizing the Papyruses?

 “It could rewind time?” Undyne demanded looking baffled.

 “It sure could fishbitch,” Razz drawled. Undyne blanched at the nick name. “Whenever the human died, when it was bored, heck if it wanted to see what it could change, it would rewind, or reset time.” Razz shrugged.

 “How did your brother remember when no one else did? It makes sense for everyone to forget but the human, but your brother remembering? I don’t understand.” Undyne asked with a frown. Slim cringed and Stretch clenched his fists. Stretch really didn’t want Blue hearing this. He did _not_ want Blue connecting any dots. Only Stretch remembered Chara in this universe. The kid was past due but still, Stretch didn’t want Blue finding out about the human. Blue didn’t’ need to know about the resets, or how many times Stretch had failed Blue and Blue had died. Stars, Stretch felt like the worst brother in the world.

 “Not sure,” Razz said with a shrug. “I just know Mutt was the only one who remembered,” Razz said and his eyelights seemed to dull as if he were lost in thought. “Until one day, I started to remember too.”

 

***

Razz

_***_

**_10 years ago_ **

_***_

 “Halt human!” Razz stood in the icy cold staring at the grinning child in front of him. Dust coated their hands and the gleaming knife in their hand shined as the human held it up.

 “I, the Magnificent Sans have some things to say!” Razz scowled at the small murderer in front of him. “First; you’re a freaking weirdo! What is wrong with you!? The way you shamble about from place to place, your hands always covered in that dusty powder. . . human,” Razz frowned at the small child in front of him. “I fear that you are going down a dangerous path. However! I, Sans, see great potential in you! Everyone can be a good person, if they just try!” Razz forced a smile.

 “I am willing to help you, if you’ll let me! I will offer you friendship and guidance!” Razz beamed at the small child. He knew the human had good inside them, he just knew it. The human stepped forward.

 “Are you offering a hug of acceptance?” Razz grinned. “Wowzers my lessons are working alread-” The human ran forward their sharp knife slicing beneath Razz’s chin. A burning pain erupted, and Razz felt his head topple off his shoulders. He blinked in shock and-

 “SANS!” Razz blinked confused. He was in his bed. Slim was standing over him a tired look in his eyes, a cigarette hanging out of his mouth.

 “Ah!” Razz sat up clutching at his throat breathing hard. Had it. . . had it been a dream?

 “You okay bro?” Slim frowned looking worried. “Did you have a nightmare?” Slim sat next to his brother and Razz was quick to climb into his older brother’s arms hugging him tightly.

 “It felt so real! I was so scared! Papy, there was a human, but something was wrong with it. It killed so many monsters and - and -it got me too. . .” Razz buried his face in his brother’s orange turtleneck, gripping it tightly. Slim had gone rigid the cigarette falling out of his mouth.

 “Papy? What’s wrong?”

  _***_

**Present Day**

Razz

***

Razz frowned willing the memories to go away.

 “I don’t really know how many resets it took me to start remembering them,” Razz continued realizing that he had fallen into silence for an extended period of time. Blue was giving him a concerned look and Stretch was staring at the floor a look of horror dancing in his eyelights. Razz couldn’t blame Stretch. Clearly in this time period Stretch was the only one who currently remembered the human. Stretch was so overprotective of Blue, he was probably terrified of the possibility Blue could begin to remember the resets.

 “But after another five hundred resets, after I remembered them that is, everyone started to remember them,” Razz’s fists clenched at his side his soul pulsing ice through his bones.

 “F-five hundred!?” Stretch demanded.

 “Mm.” Razz gave a short nod. “So here the underground was, every monster remembering this small human child killing them and everyone they loved, countless times. We were trapped in hell. All powerless to stop the human. Monsters started killing the human, surprise attacking them, but it never worked. The human always ‘reset’ or ‘reloaded,” Razz said.

 Slim wrapped his arms around himself. Razz glanced at him. Slim knew what happened next. Razz looked away. “No matter what monsters did, the human always beat us. Always reset until they won, always came back after dying. They killed us. Again, and again and again. Monsters began losing hope. Many fell down, only to come back with the next reload. Hopelessness and apathy began to change into something worse.” Razz grit his teeth before falling into silence.

 “What happened next?” Blue asked softly. Razz stared at his alter ego silently.

“It’s a long story,” Razz looked away. _He didn’t want to think about **that.**_

 “I have all day,” Blue said patiently. Razz frowned at Blue and glanced to Undyne who was scribbling in her notes furiously. Stretch was staring at the floor, his eyelights out. Slim shoved his hands in his coat pocket, shivering despite it being perfectly warm.

 “Fine,” Razz sighed sinking into a chair.

 “My lord. . . if we tell our past versions about things that have taken place it could change the timeline,” Slim shifted nervously. Razz snorted.

 “Good,” Razz shrugged. Why not tell them everything? What did he care if it screwed up the timeline? Hell, he hoped it would. Maybe Blue and Stretch could do it right. Stop everything before it went so wrong.

 ***

**_10 years ago_ **

Razz

 “Papy, get up,” Razz sighed. Slim laid on the couch staring blankly up at the ceiling. Slim was doing more and more of this.

 “Why?” Slim asked dark circles under his sockets.

 “Because the human isn’t due for a few days and I want to have fun before they come and kill us all,” Razz huffed.

 “What does it matter?” Slim groaned.

 “Because I want to do something other than sit here and wait to die. You remember fun, right? That thing that doesn’t involve our deaths over and over?” Razz sighed impatiently.

 “I’m just gonna lay here. Nothing we do matters. Even death doesn’t matter. We just come back.” Slim sighed sinking further into the couch. Razz clenched his fists.

 " _Papyrus_ , get up!” Razz snapped. Stars. He was so tired. Everyone was. He had lost track of the resets, of the days, weeks, months, maybe even years they had been living like this. The whole underground was stuck in an endless loop at the whims of a deranged child. No matter what they did, the human came, and the human slaughtered them all.

 Some monsters tried to fight. Captain Alphys waited at the ruins for the human’s appearance, and the human had grinned looking absolutely delighted by Alphys’s surprise attack. Alphys had even killed the human, with the surprise attack, many times. But the human had just rewound time over and over and over until the human won.  If the human died, it didn’t matter, it just reset things back to the beginning, trapping the monsters in an eternal hell. Or it ‘reloaded’ to a few minutes prior to the attack, so it could learn every move.

 Occasionally the human came to them wide eyed and weepy, claiming it just wanted to be friends, that it was sorry, that it wasn’t their fault. They would ask why the monsters could remember things and say that ‘something was very wrong’. Only for the monsters to try their best at killing the child who had caused them such misery. The kid would die over and over preaching of peace until the kid gave up and reset and came back grinning and covered in dust.

 “We have two days Papyrus!” Razz shook his brother gently. “Let’s do someth-” A scream from outside stopped Razz short. Razz turned sharply towards the door. But they had two days! Was the human early? That wasn’t _fair_! Razz needed these two days. It was the only thing keeping him remotely **sane.**

 Razz cracked the front door open warily, and his sockets widened. Dust. dust everywhere. But not a human in sight, no. Captain Alphys stood painting, her great battle axes in each hand, dust covering the captain’s weapons. She stood in the road, several feet from Razz’s front door.

 “Don’t you understand!?” Alphys growled at a trembling bunny monster beneath her. “The only way to beat the human is to beat them at their own game! If my LOVE is high enough they won’t be able to reset! It’s for the good of all of monster kind that I do this. Your sacrifice is necessary!” Alphys raised her axe high above her head.

 “P-please don’t! I have children I-”

 “Alphys!” Razz said slamming the door shut behind him marching towards his friend. “What do you think you’re doing!?” Razz came to a stop standing in front of the cowering bunny monster and stared up in disbelief at the captain of the royal guard. Razz did a quick check.

  *** Captain Alphys**

**LV 10, 300 ATK, 1000 DEF, HP 1900/1900**

*** Will do anything to save monster kind**

***Your friend has lost her way.**

 A LOVE of ten!? How many monsters had Alphys dusted!? Razz’s soul shuddered, and he held back a gag. He felt like he was going to be sick.

 “Sans?” Alphys’s eyes widened slightly and she looked at him. Razz stared back at her swallowing his disgust for his friend, giving her an incredulous look instead.

 “What is _wrong_ with you? Why are you killing our own people!? Your captain of the Royal Guard! It’s your j-job to protect monsters not kill them! Stop this immediately!” Razz’s fists shook at his sides. It didn’t make sense! How could Alphys do something like this?

 “The human is never going to stop, Sans, unless we make it! What we’ve been doing so far isn’t working! How many times have we all died? How many times have we lived the same hour, the same day, the same week? It’s been **years** Sans. YEARS! This is hell!  So, I had an idea. If I have a higher LOVE than the human, maybe I can stop them for good!” Alphys growled her tail thrashing angrily behind her.

 “By killing the people you’re trying to protect!?” Razz demanded.

 “ _You don’t get it_! It doesn’t matter! Because if I fail, they’ll come back to life anyway, and if I succeed, their sacrifice was worth destroying the human for good!” Alphys growled.

 “You don’t get to decide that!” Razz growled feeling his magic crackle between his fingertips. “You don’t get to decide whose life is worthy and who’s life isn’t! Who is sacrificed and who is spared! No one deserves that kind of verdict and judgement! Every life is precious! What you did is sick!” Razz growled fury burning within his soul.

 Alphys’s eyes narrowed furiously. “Shut up and get out of my way Sans! You’re too naive to understand how the world works. You always were too naive. I can’t protect you anymore.” Alphys's eyes flashed dangerously, and her grip tightened around her axes. Blue wisps of magic rose from Razz’s sockets.

 “No. I’m not letting you hurt another monster,” Razz growled. Alphys laughed raising an eyebrow.

 “You going to fight me punk?” She demanded.

 “If I have to,” Razz said softly. He wouldn’t let her hurt another monster. He refused to let her get away with this. Razz glanced at the cowering bunny behind him. Razz forced a gentle smile. “Hey, it’s gonna be okay. Get out of here, okay?”

 “T-thank you!” The bunny whispered and ran. Alphys scowled down at him before glancing back to her fleeing prey.

“. . . I don’t want to hurt you, Sans,” Alphys’s axe quivered in her grasp. “But that doesn’t mean I won’t. You’re right about one thing. I don’t have the right to choose who lives or dies. It’d be selfish of me to keep you alive, because you’re my friend. After I’ve killed so many, I don’t deserve to spare you for my own selfish reasons.  So, if you don’t get out of my way, right now, well, I’ll make it quick and make sure your sacrifice won't be in vain.” Alphys stared at Razz grimly.

 Razz’s soul froze, and he stared up in disgust at his friend. Alphys was serious. She was seriously going to kill him. She really thought she was doing the right thing, didn’t she? Razz knew the resets were hard monsters, but this, this was twisted, wrong, disgusting. Alphys had officially lost her star damned mind. Razz had to stop her. He had to knock some sense into her. _This wasn’t her!_

 “You don’t know what you’re doing Alph. This is so wrong; can’t you see that?” Razz asked softly.

 “Move!” Alphys growled and she swung her axe hard, fast, faster than she’d ever attacked Sans before in their sparring matches.

 The blow caught Razz to the side, removing 50 HP. Razz grit his teeth and swallowed hard before sending a wave of bones at his friend. Blue and orange and some regular bone attacks slammed at the captain in different sizes and speeds. Alphys took them all head on before she swung her axe at him again. Razz yelped in pain as another 50 HP drained. He was only LV 1. He was not going to last much longer.

 Razz sent another wave of bones at the great lizard who dodged some and took the rest, the loss of HP not even seeming to affect her.

 She frowned, staring down at Sans, pity in her eyes. “Goodbye Sans. . .I won't let your death be a waste,” Alphys raised her axe high. Razz stared frozen at his friend as she began to lower the axe for a killing blow.

 “What do you think you’re doing?” Slim’s voice was sharp and cold and the captain’s soul turned blue before she was thrown into a pile of snow several feet to Razz’s left. Razz turned to stare at his brother relief filling his soul.

 “Papy!” Razz ran to Slim hugging him tightly. “Alphys’s has lost it! She’s killing monsters, trying to gain LV to stop the human,” Razz shivered. He couldn’t believe his best friend had nearly killed him. His very best friend in the underground. It hurt his soul. How could she do that?

 Slim returned the hug after a beat staring at the captain as she rose out of the snow. “How dare you!?” Alphys roared. She charged at them then, screaming her rage. Slim pulled Razz sharply, the two dodging her attack.

 “Don’t you two understand!? It has to be this way!” Alphys growled. “Papyrus, you should know better than anyone! Haven’t you lived through this the longest? Nothing matters anymore but victory. Death is better than this nightmare. Stopping the human is the only way out of this!” Alphys raved her whole body shaking.

 “If you touch my brother again **you’re gonna have a bad time.** ”

 Alphys scoffed shaking her head before she grinned. “Then keep the little pipsqueak out of my way,” Alphys growled.

 “Fine.” Slim snapped. “Come on Sans. Back inside,” Slim pulled Razz’s arm gently.

 “W-what?” Razz demanded staring at his brother. “We can’t just walk away and let her keep killing monsters!” Razz said staring at his brother in horror. A tired sigh escaped Slim.

 “Why not? We let the human do what they want.” Slim said. Razz ground his teeth together. That was true. Razz had tried, so hard, despite remembering the human’s capabilities over and over to reach out, talk through to them. He had seen his brother fight the human over and over with power he didn’t even know his brother was capable of, but, nothing worked. The human was determined, so, Slim had given up. Slim didn’t fight the human anymore. He just waited at the judgement hall a cigarette in his mouth, arms open wide, embracing the killing blow.

 Razz still tried. And Razz died. Over and over and over and _over_. He was so tired.

 “Alphys isn’t the human! She’s our friend! She’s not herself! We need to stop her!” Razz hissed.

 “It doesn’t matter,” Slim sighed. “Whatever she does, it won’t work. The human isn’t so powerful because of their LOVE, it’s because of their determination. It’s what’s in human souls. It’s what Undyne made the amalgamates with.” Slim said. Razz paused. Razz remembered the amalgamates. In one of the attempts to stop the humans Undyne had set the twisting bumbling creatures free to attack the human. It hadn’t worked of course. Nothing seemed to work. Still, this was something new. Determination was what gave the demon child its power?

 “Come on.” Slim pulled Razz again and Razz growled pulling his arm free.

 “How can you just give up like this!?” Razz demanded.  Slim sighed staring at Razz impatiently.

 “Because bro. You don’t know how many times I went through this shit alone before you even started to remember! Do you remember what it was like with just you and me remembering? Now _everyone_ remembers, and we still can't stop the human. So, who cares if Alphys empties the whole underground? At least its new. It doesn’t matter, the human will just reset. Nothing we do _matters_ ,” Slim said. Razz clenched his fists.

“You’re wrong!” Razz said. Slim sighed. “Bro-” Slim took a step forward and froze his sockets widening and dust spilled from his mouth.

 “P-papy!?” Razz cried. This wasn’t the first time he had watched his brother die. Slim had truly tried to kill the human at multiple different points in the human’s ‘journey’ across the underground. Razz had watched his brother die more times than he wanted to count. Sometimes Razz was the one standing in the judgement hall, not Slim, waiting to give judgement on the human. Razz always lost.

 “See you soon…” Slim sighed crumbling to dust, the axe that killed him landing in the snow with a thunk. Razz choked staring at his brother’s dust turning to stare at Alphys who grinned wide.

 “He wasn’t going to convince you. You were just going to get in my way anyway. Let’s finish this,” Alphys growled raising her remaining axe.

 “H-how could you!?” Razz growled his sockets welling with tears. Why did it hurt so much? He had seen his brother die _so_ many times. Why did it still hurt like this? Razz snarled summoning his bone attacks charging at his ‘friend’. His friend who had betrayed him. His friend who had killed innocent monsters. His friend who had killed his brother. _D i r t y   b r o t h e r   k i l l e r._

 Alphys slammed the axe into Razz’s skull cleaving it in two. _Pain. Betrayal. Rage. _ Razz had grown used to the feeling of his very being dissolving into dust, but he had never felt the sting of betrayal as deep as this. His last visage was Alphys staring down at him, the remorseful look on her face quickly changing to glee as she gained another level and then-

 Razz gasped sitting up in his bed, panting hard. A reset. There had been a reset. Alphys plan had failed. Razz clenched his fists hard his bones rattling. Alphys had killed Slim. Alphys had killed him. _IT HURT._

 Razz snarled, throwing the covers off him, pulling his battle body on, and slammed his bedroom door open.

 Slim gave a lazy wave from the couch as Razz stomped down the stairs. Razz clenched his fists storming past his brother towards the front door.

 “Hey. Where you going?” Slim asked sitting up. Razz snarled turning to his brother his eyelights going out.

 “I’m going to make Alphys beg for **_mercy._** ”

 Slim blinked a stunned look on his face.

 “Whoa!? Bro? I’ve never seen you like this? What. . . what’d she do after she killed me?” Razz didn’t answer and slammed the door shut behind him.

 ***

**Present day**

 Blue

 “So, after that,” Razz said after a moment of silence. “After Alphys’s betrayal to monster kind, it was madness. We call it the Underground Massacres. It was monster against monster, friend against friend, family against family. Monsters were killing each other left and right. Some were just trying to survive, some were playing the hero like Alphys; wanting LOVE to stop the human with. Some were just getting their frustrations out.” Razz frowned at the tiles on the lab floor and laughed bitterly.

 “You don’t have enough gold for lunch? Well, might as well kill the shopkeeper and get it for free! They’d be back next reset, so it doesn’t matter, right?” Razz scowled. “That kind of thinking spread quickly, and that’s when the revenge killings started. The next reset would roll around and the shopkeeper would exact their revenge. It was a dust storm. Monsters killed and hurt and maimed each other far more than the human ever did,” Razz’s eyelights trailed to Undyne who was looking horrified. “Did that help you with your research Doctor?” Razz all but hissed.

 Undyne looked down at her hands, wringing together in her lap. Blue swallowed hard, closing his sockets. Razz’s tale was so very hard to hear. The idea of a human coming to the underground with the power to time travel? It was amazing, and terrifying. A person could do so many good things with a power like that! However, the more Razz explained things, the more Blue could see what _harm_ someone could do with that power.

 Blue couldn’t imagine what it felt like for poor Slim, to be the only one who remembered a murderous (though sometimes friendly) child resetting time over and over. To hear the same things, live the same days, and being completely alone. Blue didn’t think anything could be worse, until Razz had continued on. It was completely maddening. How could Alphys do that? Blue couldn’t imagine his own Alphys doing that. It was too terrible to contemplate. Blue couldn’t begin to imagine how betrayed Razz must feel. Then monsters started killing each other? It sounded like complete and utter hell.

 “I-I’m so sorry Razz,” Blue whispered and he ran to his double wrapping his arms around Razz tightly. Razz went completely rigid as if burned, a soft choking noise sputtering out of him.

 “Let go of me!” Razz demanded his hands clenching into fists at his side, not returning the hug. Blue shook his head, pulling his alternate closer.

 “I’m so sorry you had to go through all that Razz! That’s terrible! No one should live through something like that!” Blue said feeling a stinging in his sockets as tears threatened to spill.

 Razz was silent for a moment, letting Blue hug him tightly.

 “Okay. let go,” Razz huffed after another moment. Reluctantly, Blue let the other go. Blue ran over to Slim, who had seemed to shrink into the wall. Blue hugged him tightly as well.

 “Neither of you deserved to go through that!” Blue said looking up at Slim with wide sockets. Slim blinked looking completely taken aback and his arms twitched at his sides as if he was unsure what to do with them.

 “W-what’d you do. After that reset I mean. Did you. . . did you kill Alphys?” Undyne asked glancing at Razz. Razz huffed.

 “I’m done talking.” Razz looked away from Undyne, his eyes landing on Blue who still had his arms tightly around Slim. “It’s your turn to start talking.” Razz looked back to Undyne.

 “R-right,” Undyne folded up her notes placing them in her white lab coat’s pocket. She adjusted her glasses glancing at Razz nervously.

 Blue nearly jumped feeling two arms hesitantly, shakily return the hug he still had Slim in. Blue grinned widely at Slim, delighted Slim was returning the hug. Slim looked away, his cheekbones flushing a golden color.

 Blue let the taller skeleton go after a moment grinning victoriously. The magnificent Sans gave magnificent hugs!

 “Does the name Wingdings Gaster mean anything to you?” Stretch asked softly. Undyne frowned.

 “.  . . Yes,” Undyne frowned at Stretch. “I think I- yes. Doctor Gaster was the previous royal scientist, right?” Undyne said. Stretch blinked looking completely shocked. Stretch clearly hadn’t expected Undyne to remember anything.

 Blue looked at his brother thoughtfully. Well, Stretch had said he was the only one who seemed to remember the doctor, right?

 “Here, come with me. I have something to show you,” Undyne said, and she walked over to the girl’s bathroom. She hit a button and the door opened to reveal it was not a bathroom, but an elevator.

 “It’s in the true lab. Come on, you need to see this.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _"Time is a flat circle. Everything we have done or will do we will do over and over and over again- forever."_ \-- Nietzsche's Doctrine of Eternal Recurrence.
> 
> So there's a lot more that [Razz](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JsR85brXkQ) isn't saying that will be revealed later, and none of the memories in this chapter has anything to do with Razz's um "stellar" treatment of his dear brother. ;) 
> 
> Next chapter we go into the labs. I'm *sure* that'll end well! As always thank you so much for reading and commenting and kudoing! Keeps me going <3


	11. Easy is the descent into hell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Slim and Stretch come up with a really bad plan.
> 
> AKA
> 
> Slim, you done messed up boy. 
> 
> AKA
> 
> Maybe this is why Razz is so nice to you Slim?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this was so late, but as you read I think you'll understand why. ;)  
> FYI; I am SO sorry.  
>  _facilis descensus Averno. ___  
>  _Easy is the descent into hell._  
> 

***

Slim

 

To say Slim didn’t like the true labs was an understatement. His memories of his ‘childhood’, if you wanted to call it that, within these stone-cold walls were not something he liked to think back on. It didn’t help that in Slim’s home timeline he was often forced down here to help his version of Dr. Undyne strap down unfortunate test subjects for her experimentation.

Slim didn’t like the true labs.

But he was handling it _so_ much better than his younger version. Slim glanced at Stretch with a frown. Stretch had grown so stiff Slim was impressed he could walk at all. Stretch’s bones had taken on a gray hue and his eyelights had flickered out upon the elevator’s descent into the lab. That had been roughly ten minutes ago, and Stretch hadn’t said a word since then. Stretch followed Undyne slowly, who kept looking back at him with looks of concern.

“It’s just a little further,” Undyne said tucking a strand of red hair behind a fin like ear. “I know you hate it down here Paps, stars, I’m sorry.” Undyne muttered under her breath. Blue gave his brother a worried look. Stretch forced a shaky smile for his brother, his white eyelights coming back as he met his brother’s eyelights.

“Are you okay Papy?” Blue asked quietly, his wide blue eyelights scanning Stretch over.

“Yeah bro, I just- I don’t like it down here,” Stretch shivered some.

“Why?” Razz demanded. Stretch huffed his sockets narrowing towards Razz who, for the most part, had been quiet since they descended into the lab.

“Makes me feel weird,” Stretch said with a noncommittal shrug. Razz grunted, seeming satisfied with Stretch’s answer, which was a huge relief for Slim. Slim was a shit brother. He had failed to protect Razz against the human, Alphys, their fucked-up universe, nearly everything. But Razz didn’t remember Dr. Gaster. Razz didn’t remember these halls. Razz didn’t remember what happened here. Razz had already suffered so much, and Slim would do _anything_ to protect Razz from their past. He could _at least_ do that, right?

Razz’s eyelights left Stretch to continue scouting the area for potential threats. Slim looked around warily. No amalgamates so far, but he was certain they were nearby. Maybe Undyne had herded them into a separate section, since she was planning to show them whatever it was that she wanted to show them?

“It makes me feel weird down here too,” Blue said softly sand Stretch looked at his brother in surprise. “I don’t know why. It just gives me the creeps,” Blue shivered. Stretch quickly reached out and took his brother’s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. Blue smiled warmly at his brother and Razz scoffed looking personally offended at their affectionate gestures towards one another.

“Razz said something about amalgamates in his time period? What are those? Are they here now?” Blue’s eyelights scanned the area curiously. Undyne shifted a look of guilt passing over her face.

“It’s a long story bro, I’ll tell you about them later,” Stretch said and Undyne shot him an appreciative look.

“Here,” Undyne stopped before a hallway of monitors holding notes. Slim eyed the notes boredly. If Blue wanted to know the story of the amalgamates all he had to do was read these, but, the power seemed to be out in several of the monitors. Undyne quickly ushered them through the hall stopping at Entry number 17 and Slim shivered, a chill going down his spine.

_Dark, Darker Yet Darker_

_The Darkness Keeps Growing_

_The Shadows Cutting Deeper_

_Photon Readings Negative_

_This Next Experiment_

_Seems_

_Very_

_Very_

_Interesting_

_..._

**_W_ ** _hat Do Y **ou T** wo Think?_

“What about it?” Razz demanded looking inpatient.

“When I came down to check o-on the amalgamates, there was a password on this keypad,” Undyne gestured to the keypad next to the displayed note. “When I hit enter, a secret door appeared,” Undyne said with excitement.

“I still don’t know what prompted the password to appear but…” Undyne quickly punched the word ‘Serif’ into the keypad. The wall before them rumbled and shifted, a quaint metallic door appearing as the wall slid to the left.

“I had no idea this was here,” Stretch said sockets wide. Slim shifted nervously, an uneasy feeling building. Slim didn’t know about it either, and Slim had spent hours scouring these halls for any information he could gather. About Dr. Gaster’s tests, About Determination, About himself and Razz. Slim hadn’t wanted to miss anything important.

“I found files of notes inside, and some other things. Most of the notes are written in these strange symbols, but some I can read, and the readable notes are signed by W.D. Gaster,” Undyne walked into the room her excitement growing.

“There’s some interesting stuff he talks about in his notes, DT experiments, SOUL experiments, a-and he goes on about a handful of test subjects. He writes the most about the same two, he seems to favor them,” Undyne said looking thoughtful and she gestured in front of her.

“But this is what I’m most excited about,” Undyne said staring at the whiteboard in front of her. It was filled to the brim with a complex equation written in red ink.

“Holy shit,” Slim breathed his eyelights canning over it. It’d been a long time since Slim had dipped his toes into physics, but this equation, it could work, theoretically.

“What is it?” Blue asked looking at it with confusion.

“An equation for dimensional travel,” Stretch said in disbelief. Undyne squealed slightly, bouncing once, then twice on the balls of her feet. “Isn’t it amazing? This looks like it could actually work,” Undyne’s yellow eyes lit in awe as she gestured at Dr. Gaster’s previous work.

 Slim eyed the equation one last time before he scanned the rest of the room. It was a small room with a table in the center. Sprawled across said table were the notes Undyne had been talking about. The notes surely mentioning Razz and Slim. Or in this case, Blue and Stretch. The notes were unorganized, chaotic. Very unlike the Dr. Gaster Slim knew. In fact, the room was disheveled. As if someone has torn through it quickly, looking for something. To the side was a hole in the floor where a machine once stood. Slim’s eyelights widened in recognition.

His machine. It had to be. But Slim had never seen this room before. Unless his machine had a twin? Slim’s eyebrow bones knitted as he frowned at that idea. No, maybe the machine had been housed in this room before moved to the DT experimentation room where Slim had ultimately taken it and moved it to his secret little lab in his house?

“So, I don’t remember who Dr. Gaster is, but, I think he made the CORE,” Undyne said pacing as she spoke. “He must have been the royal scientist before me, but I don’t remember anything about him. All I have to prove he even existed are these notes, the DT extractor, and, well, the CORE. Everyone knows I didn’t build that, but no one can remember who did. It’s puzzling,” Undyne bit her lip looking deep in thought.

Undyne glanced at Razz nervously. “That’s all I know about him. The notes are interesting, but they don’t explain what happened to him,” Undyne said.

“Hm,” Razz picked up one of the notes his eyelights scanning it. Slim all but squirmed. He didn’t want his lord reading Gaster’s notes. Especially notes that were potentially about Blue and Stretch. It wouldn’t take much for his lord to connect the dots from S-4 and P-7 skeleton test subjects to ‘Sans’ and ‘Papyrus’ skeleton brothers.

“So, uh,” Undyne scratched the back of her head looking unsure how to continue. “How do you guys remember the doctor? Is there anything you can tell me?” Undyne asked curiously.

“We came to you for answers,” Razz huffed frowning at the note in his hand and dropping it to the table picking up another one. “But, we don’t remember him. He attacked us.”

Undyne’s eyes widened. “He’s alive?” Undyne asked incredulously.

“No,” Razz drawled voice dripping with sarcasm, “He’s dead.” Razz deadpanned at Undyne. “His dust rose from the earth and with supernatural powers it attacked us. What the fuck kind of question was that Dr. Undyne? _Yes_ , he’s alive. Obviously.” Razz huffed frowning at the paper in his hands.

“Why can I read this shit?” Razz demanded. Slim’s soul sunk as he eyed the page Razz held written in wingdings.

“You can read the symbols!?” Undyne squeaked.

“I can too!” Blue said tilting his head curiously. Stretch stiffened sweat beginning to form on his brow.

“Mutt.” Razz growled. Slim flinched and closed his eyes. Oh fuck. He was going to be in _so_ much trouble he-

“Can you read this?” Razz demanded. Slim slowly remembered to breathe as he realized Razz hadn’t figured out anything and Slim was not in trouble. Slim quickly walked over to obey, his shoulders hunched and his hands in his hoodie. His eyelights briefly scanned over the page.

“No.” Slim said shortly. Slim had always been shit at reading wingdings. Speaking it however, well, that, Slim could do.

“What does it say Razz?” Undyne asked curiously.

“Does it matter? I think we’ve seen enough, seems like a dead end to me.” Stretch said quickly, looking uncomfortable.

“Yes, it matters!” Undyne said passionately. “If this guy’s alive and attacking you, maybe one of these documents has his last experiment on it. Maybe it could explain what happened to him, where he’s been all this time, why everyone has forgotten him, maybe even what he might want,” Undyne said placing her hands on her hips. “Aren't’ you curious?”

“I. . . guess?” Stretch sighed.

“I’m not reading all this shit to you,” Razz scowled gesturing at the piles of notes in wingdings.  

“I’ll read it,” Blue volunteered.

“Looks like a lot to read bro,” Stretch said.

“Papy, this is important. It could help explain things,” Blue said before picking up one of the notes. “January 199x. The DT injections on subject P-7 are nearly complete. P-7 has shown little progress and it is uncertain whether the injections are having any positive effect,” Blue read yawning slightly.

“DT injections. Determination. Like what Undyne did to the monsters that caused the amalgamates?” Razz asked looking curious. Blue’s sockets widened, and he looked at Undyne questionably who swallowed hard.

“Razz, you mentioned determination the other day, when you were explaining what Persistence was,” Blue blinked. “You said it was something inside human souls, and that monsters couldn’t safely take it,” Blue frowned.

“T-that’s right, Determination comes from human souls,” Undyne looked down, guilt shining in her eyes. “I injected monsters who had fallen down with determination, and they woke up. They were themselves, for a small amount of time. Then they began melting into each other and became the amalgamates,” Undyne whispered softly. Blue looked sick and Razz rolled his eyes.

Slim shot Blue a sympathetic look. Razz already knew about the amalgamations, but poor Blue didn’t. Undyne’s first of many atrocities was creating the amalgamates. Though Slim supposed that in this time period, this was Undyne’s only. She still cared. It was strange to see her this way again.

“But, it seems Dr. Gaster was able to do it safely,” Blue said after a moment frowning at the document in his hands.

“Y-yes! That is fascinating. I didn’t think there was a way to safely inject DT. All my attempts have ended in failure,” Undyne said looking curious. “Does he say how he did it?”

“Getting ideas, are we?” Razz drawled raising his brow bones at Undyne. Undyne flinched as if struck.

 “N-no but I-if it can be done successfully w-we could stop monsters from falling down or m-maybe reverse what. . . what I did,” Undyne choked slightly, looking down, her yellow eyes full of shame.

“We’ll figure it out,” Blue said a smile lighting his face. “I’m sure if there’s a way to fix the amalgamates, it’ll be in these notes! And I’m sure we’ll learn more about Dr. Gaster and what he wants,” Blue said looking thoughtful. Slim shook his head slightly, looking away from Blue, his soul felt warm with affection.

How did Blue always do that? He was always so positive. Even when things seemed hopeless, he never gave up.

As Blue began reading more of the notes out loud, Slim began tuning it out. So far, all the notes were all about the DT experiments on P-7. He knew all about that. It was about him.

“Can I have a word with you?” Stretch said quietly next to him. Slim glanced around the room warily, to his lord who was listening to Blue reading with half interest and half boredom.

“Alright,” Slim said softly and the two stepped out of the room. Stretch closed the door behind them and was silent for a moment before looking at Slim.

“We need to stop this. Blue and Razz are going to figure out P-7 and S-4 are us and them,” Stretch paced in front of Slim nervously. “I didn’t actually expect Undyne to have any information for us, or to know who Gaster is,” Stretch sighed. “I didn’t expect a secret room full of our lives here on display.”

 Slim nodded in agreement. “But M’lord’s not going to leave easily. He wants answers and he thinks those notes are going to give them to him,” Slim said and he sighed. The notes would give him answers alright. Answers Slim didn’t want his lord to have to deal with.

“You and I already know what happened to Gaster,” Stretch clenched and unclenched his fists. “We pushed him into the CORE. Stars he should be _dead._ The only thing these notes have are our pasts on record. We need to stop this now,” Stretch groaned.

“How do you want to stop them?” Slim asked cocking his head to the side curiously.

“I don’t know.” Stretch sighed crossing his arms. “But if we don’t do something soon they’re going to figure it out. I don’t want Blue to put the pieces together. You saw his face when Razz and Undyne explained what happened with the amalgamates, this will be so much worse. It will crush him. He doesn’t deserve our shitty past, I want him to be free of it,” Stretch said. Slim gave a small nod of agreement. Ignorance was bliss. Stars, did Slim know that.

If the monsters in his time period had never begun to remember? His time would still be like this one. Everyone would be happy, except him. And Razz’s happiness was so much more important than Slim’s. Slim wished Razz had never begun to remember the resets. That no one had. That only he had. He could deal with forever remembering it all alone. He could have taken it. . .

“I have an idea,” Slim sighed shifting from one foot to the other. “But it’s a really bad one.”

“I’ll take anything man,” Stretch said looking at Slim with hope.

“We need to distract my brother,” Slim said and his soul pulsed anxiously. “He’s going to be focused on the task at hand so, the only thing I can think of is setting him off or hitting a nerve. He’ll get pissed, throw a fit, and it will distract Blue as well. It will give us an excuse to leave.” Slim said wrapping his arms around himself.

“You want us to actually cause pocket sized Edgelord to have a tantrum?” Stretch asked raising a brow bone. Slim nodded.

 “When we go back in there I want you to ask m’lord what he ended up doing to Alphys after she killed him. Keep pestering him about what happened in our timeline.  If that doesn’t work, then ask him what I did,” Slim said digging his hands into his pockets.

“What _did_ you do?” Stretch asked his eyelights looking at Slim curiously.

“I honestly hope you never have to find out,” Slim said turning away from his younger version.

***

Razz

Mutt and Stretch had been gone for more than a few minutes now. Razz didn’t like this. They were hiding something, he just knew it. They were holding out on him. They knew something about Gaster, something they didn’t want Razz to know. Razz growled under his breath.

Didn’t they understand how important it was that Razz know every detail? How was Razz supposed to defeat the scientist when said scientist could melt and his individual pieces could wriggle, move, attack and reform the doctor back together like some kind of supernatural horror villain?

Razz was at a disadvantage with this opponent and he needed to know everything he could in order to defeat him. Gaster wasn’t going to just disappear. That’s not how enemies worked.

Razz scowled down at Blue, who was reading another boring note to Undyne who was scribbling it down in English. Why could Blue and Razz read this fucked up symbol language? How could they read it, when their brothers couldn’t? When Undyne couldn’t. What did it mean?

 Razz clenched his fists. Well. He wasn’t going to find answers in here. Slim and Stretch, they had answers. Razz was sure of it. He frowned watching as the two-crept back in, Slim guilty so. _He should feel guilty._

Lying piece of trash. How dare he keep something from the Malicious Sans!? It wasn’t like his dog to misbehave. Maybe it was time Razz reminded him of his place? He hadn’t _really_ punished his dog in a good long while. Maybe Slim needed another taste of Razz’s whip? A kicked dog will _always_ fear the boot, after all. It wouldn’t take much to get his brother talking.

“Anything useful?” Stretch asked curiously.

“It’s fascinating,” Undyne said. “You know in an evil scientist kind of way,” Undyne added after the incredulous look Stretch sent her way.

“It’s mostly just notes about his test subjects,” Blue added with a shrug. ‘Nothing about blasters, or anything to do with melting,” Blue frowned. “That’s what he did right? It sure looked like he melted.” Blue looked thoughtful.

“He melted? Do you think he injected himself with determination? If the amalgamates melted because of it-” Undyne started but Stretch was quick to cut her off.

“Hey, Razz. What _did_ you end up doing to your Alphys? I'm curious. It sounded like you were a nice person before your world went to shit, did you kill her? Was that what made you so fucked up?” Stretch drawled nonchalantly before he gave Razz a shit eating grin.

_This. motherfucker._

Razz stared at Stretch a pulse of icy rage thrumming through his bones, from his soul.

“Papy, language! And that was very rude!” Blue scolded with a frown. Razz leaned forward his eyelights narrowing at Stretch.

“You _really_ want to know? What I did to Alphys, for killing the dog and me?” Razz drawled quietly.

“Yes,” Stretch said crossing his arms.

“Say please,” Razz drawled softly, dangerousl, taking a step towards Stretch. Stretch frowned.

“Okay? Please,” Stretch huffed, looking curious.

“Say pretty please,” Razz growled taking another step towards Stretch.

“Pretty please,” Stretch rolled his eyes.

“With a cherry on top,” Razz said stopping inches in front of Stretch.

“With a cherry on top,” Stretch scowled. Razz smirked, and he lunged forward, jumping to grab the collar of Stretch’s hoodie and he slammed the monster down, face first into the hard concrete.

“Ah- FUCK!” Stretch howled rolling to the left and sitting up palms against his face. “What the fuck!?”

“I did that,” Razz grinned down at Stretch. “To Alphys that is. Now you know. Your welcome,” Razz shrugged. Stretch’s hands lowered, a small crack was dripping marrow from Stretch’s cheekbone and Stretch glared at Razz before slowly standing up.

“You _dick-_ ” Stretch growled.  

“Razz! I’m very disappointed!” Blue huffed interrupting his brother. Razz raised a brow bone as his twin marched forward hands on his hips, anger clear in Blueberry’s eyes. Razz’s grin widened.

“That’s another tally! You can’t just hurt people like that, stars! Where are your manners!? You don’t have to use violence to make a point!” Blue lectured, disapproval clear in his tone. Razz snorted rolling his eyes. He had almost forgotten about Blue’s stupid tally system. Every time he ‘hurt’ someone he got a tally which was another hour they wouldn’t help him get home. Razz didn’t care, Stretch’s reaction was worth it.

“So, you didn’t kill Alphys,” Undyne said a look of relief on her face. Razz scowled at her. Undyne had it bad, already didn’t she? She was already head over heels for the stupid yellow lizard.

“No, I didn’t kill her. Not that it matters, she would have come back anyway,” Razz shrugged.

“It m-matters to me,” Undyne said softly. Razz scoffed before looking away. How was he supposed to deal with her disgusting emotions?

“So, if you didn’t kill her what made you such an asshole?” Stretch scoffed.

“LANGUAGE!” Blue huffed. Razz scowled at Stretch.

“Was it what your brother did?” Stretch asked raising a brow bone and Razz felt his soul jolt. Slim flinched and stepped back a few steps, towards the furthest point from Razz while still being in the room.

“What did Slim do?” Blue blinked and Razz growled softly, clenching his fists. What _didn’t_ Slim do?

 

*******

**10 years ago**

**Razz**

*******

 Razz slammed Alphys door open, fists clenched.

“Alphys how _could_ you-” Razz growled, and his words died in his throat. Alphys was sliding her chest plate armor off, it was blackened as if burned. Burn marks marred her scales and her left eye was heavily bandaged, stained with blood.

“. . . what happened to you?” Razz asked quietly.

“I failed,” Alphys sighed. “I- I killed everyone for nothing. It didn’t work.” Alphys said softly, her eyes unable to meet Razz’s. “The queen was. . . displeased.” Alphys huffed letting her chest plate fall to the floor. “So, I was disciplined?” Alphys sounded unsure.

Razz wasn’t a royal guard member, but the severe burn marks over his friend’s body and the missing eye seemed to be too harsh even for military punishment. Razz sighed the anger and fight dying out of him.

“I-I’m sure you’ll get your eye back next reset,” Razz said softly, frowning at the floor. Queen Toriel wasn’t a cruel monarch, what had caused this? Then again everyone was having trouble dealing with the nightmarish resets. If Alphys had grown unstable, maybe the Queen was starting to too?

“Hey, Sans?” Alphys sighed.  Razz glanced at her.

“I’m really sorry, for what I did.” Alphys said softly. Razz’s anger came back. _She should be sorry._

“I think I understand why you did it. Even though it was really sick and wrong,” Razz said instead. Alphys laughed bitterly. Razz let his eyelights flicker out. “Don’t. Ever. Do. It. Again.” Razz growled. Alphys blinked, for a moment looking intimidated. Good.

“I can’t promise that. I think, I think I just need a higher LV,” Alphys said and Razz’s soul sank.

“Alphys-”

“I just need to kill more people. Then I’ll be able to stop the kid.”

“ _Alphys!”_

“Sorry Sans,” Alphys said and without warning her axes slammed into him.

 

***

“She killed me again!” Razz snarled angrily pacing in front of Slim who was slumped against the couch a cigarette in his mouth. Alphys had killed Razz several times, since he had confronted her at her house and he was getting sick of it. After the first few times it had even stopped being about Alphys gaining LOVE. Now that all monsters seemed to be killing each other, Alphys was trying to restore order, and she needed help.

Alphys had enlisted Sans into the guard and began training him at a brutal pace. If Razz messed up, he died. It was a steep learning curve; one Razz was getting sick of.  The last time Alphys had killed him, he had just been going to the damn grocery store. She ambushed him from behind, explaining that a guard member must be ready for anything before she drove her axe into his face. He was going to fucking skewer that lizard bitch- Razz froze and covered his face with his palms.

Stars. What was wrong with him?

How could he think of hurting his friend like that? _She’s killed you repeatedly. She deserves it._ Razz shivered. No. He wasn’t like that. He knew the difference between right and wrong still. He wasn’t going to lose his way like everyone else.

“She’s lost it. Should stay away from her. We can barricade the door,” Slim suggested with a shrug. “Actually, we should probably do that anyway.”

“People are fighting against her now, and people are fighting each other,” Razz said with a frown. “Everyone's killing each other. I don’t. . . I don’t understand,” Razz huffed throwing his hands in the air.

Slim gave a slight nod.

“Yeah, I know. It’s kill or be killed out there. So just stay inside,” Slim said taking a hit of his cigarette.

***

Razz had spent reset after reset training, practicing fighting, on his own, and with Alphys. Razz needed to be able to defend himself from more than just the human now. He needed to defend himself from everyone. He needed to be able to defend his lazy brother too. Slim for all intents and purposes seemed content to never leave the fucking couch.

Razz had noticed a change within himself. It had been slow, but there none the less. He was angry. All the time. At the human, at Alphys, at everyone, at himself. He couldn’t stop the human from doing this. He couldn’t stop his people from killing each other. He could hardly defend himself, but, he was getting better. Every reset he was getting faster, stronger, better.

“I’m going out for supplies,” Razz said to his brother sliding his altered battle body on. Each reset erased his work, but he had fastened a steel plate to the chest piece of the costume and replaced the blue boots with black steel toed ones he found in the dump. It would have to do.

“K,” Slim shrugged.

“It’s pretty bad out there, I’ve been hearing screams for several hours,” Razz added.  
“K,” Slim said. Razz sighed. Did Slim even care?

 

***

“Papyrus, I’m home.” Razz snapped slamming the door shut behind him, arms full of what little food he was able to haggle from the shopkeeper. He growled pulling a knife out of his chest armor. Good thing he had added plate to it.

 “.  . .” Slim gave no reaction. Razz huffed. "I’m alive.

 No thanks to you.” Razz added. Would it kill Slim to accompany him on a supply run every now and then?

 “. . .” No reply again.

 Razz sighed, staring at his brother who was lying on the couch staring up at the ceiling blankly.

 “It’s pretty bad out there. There’s dust everywhere. Were you even worried about me?” Razz asked softly. Slim sighed loudly. As if Razz was disturbing something very important. Slowly, Slim’s blank eyelights finally met Razz’s and Slim shrugged. Razz swallowed hard. “Do you even care?” Razz asked, voice watery.

 “. . . no.” Slim said.

Razz clenched his fists. He slammed the box of food down on the table before picking out a can of peas and hurling it at his brother’s head.

“Ah - the fuck!?” Slim demanded with a surprised yelp.

“You asshole!” Razz growled, picking up another can. Slim’s sockets widened and he dodged as another steel can was hurled at him.

“Sans, stop!” Slim hissed.

“No!” Razz growled throwing can after can at his brother who dodged repeatedly. When Razz ran out of those, he threw the bread, the milk carton, several apples and the box itself at his brother.

“Are you done!?” Slim demanded with a frown.

“Fuck you!” Razz growled. Slim blinked looking taken aback.

“Stars on fire, what is _wrong_ with you!?” Slim demanded. Razz growled grinding his teeth. _He was so angry._

“What is wrong with me!? What is wrong with you! You don’t even care if I die you asshole!” Razz growled.

“You’ll just come back next reset. You always do, fuck!” Slim said and sighed. “Nothing matters, don’t you get it? Why should I spend hours worrying if you’re going to come back alive or not when a reset will happen? I’m so _tired_ bro. I’m so fucking tired. You don't understand." Slim groaned.

“You’ve died _countless_ times. I’ve watched you die over and over. Long before you even started remembering. There’s nothing I can do. Whether it’s the human, Alphys, or a random towns person, I can't stop it. I can't protect you,” Slim’s voice broke. “You can’t even protect you. Even with all your training. Not against the human, not against them,” Slim sighed. “So, no. I wasn’t worried, and I didn’t care because if you died, you’d be right back here next reset,” Slim scowled.  
Razz clenched his fists before he kicked Slim hard in the shin. Slim growled.

“Stop it Sans. Don’t be childish,” Slim groaned.

“I’m not!” Razz seethed. “I think I have a right to be angry when my own brother doesn’t give a damn about me-”

“YOUR THE ONLY THING I GIVE A DAMN ABOUT!” Slim roared his eyelights glowing orange, his magic rising off of him in waves. Razz fell into stunned silence. It was the first time his brother had shown any kind of strong emotion in at least a hundred resets.

“Now shut the fuck up and stop kicking me,” Slim growled. Razz blinked and nodded stiffly. All the fight seemed to die out of Slim and he sighed sitting back down on the couch.

 

***

Razz swore under his breath as he limped to his brother’s sentry station hiding behind it. Not that Slim ever went to his sentry station anymore. Slim never left the house.

“Fuck,” Razz groaned looking down at his snapped femur panting harshly. Razz heard the howls in the distance. The dogs were hungry for _bones._ At least that's what Doggo had said before he attacked Razz. Razz had run and run, Doggo in hot pursuit, his friends joining in the hunt.

Razz shouldn’t have been surprised. He’s been attacked by neighbors repeatedly in the endless loops of resets. This was the first time he got away alive. He was so much better at fighting than he used to be. His mind remembered the fighting skills he had learned, despite his body ‘resetting’ it caught up to his mind fairly quickly.

Razz pulled out his cell phone dialing his brother’s number.

“Come on! Pick up, pick up,” Razz hissed. It rang and rang.

“‘lo?” Slim drawled.

“Come get me! I’ve been attacked. I’m at your sentry station,” Razz hissed.

“What, no please? Aren’t you commanding,” Slim drawled.

“Stars dammit Papyrus! I don’t have time for your bullshit!” Razz growled.

“Heh.” The line went dead.

“Papyrus!?”

“Snow problem bro,” Slim drawled, standing beside him. Razz sighed in relief.

“Get me the hell out of here!” Razz said.

“Yes _M’lord,_ ” Slim drawled sarcastically. Slim bent down and scooped his brother up quickly teleporting them back to the safety of home.

 

***

Razz growled shoving Alphys off of him, he was panting hard. Battered and bruised. Razz roared and charged at her.

“Good,” she praised.

“Shut up,” Razz snapped. He didn’t want _her_ praise. He only tolerated her as a sparring partner to keep his skills up. He couldn’t trust her as far as he could throw her. He’d never forgive her for all the times she’d driven her axes into his skull.

“What’s the matter Sans? Got a bone to pick with me?” Alphys grinned nastily.

“UGH! No puns!” Razz kicked her hard in the chest knocking the lizard captain to her back. He raised the bone sword and brought it down swiftly, stopping at her neck.

“I win.” Razz said.

“Why don’t you finish me off? Get a taste of LOVE?” Alphys asked. Razz scoffed pulling his sword back.

“Because I, unlike _you_ don’t murder my friends,” Razz growled.

“What does it matter? I’ll come back anyway, and maybe you’ll burn off some of that anger,” Alphys grinned nastily.

“I’m not angry,” Razz growled dissipating his bones. Alphys roared and charged at him from behind. Razz ducked and threw his arms up grabbing her by her hips and slamming her against the ground.

“Seem angry to me,” Alphys huffed.

“I’m not angry. You’re getting predictable, you’re hardly a challenge anymore you know,” Razz rolled his eyes letting the lizard go. Alphys grinned.

“No, you’re just getting better,” Alphys said a proud look in her eyes.

“You do _not_ get credit for that you scaly bitch,” Razz huffed before helping her up.

“Well, well, what have we here,” a voice growled. Alphys stiffened and Razz turned sharply.

“Doggo. That’s a lot of LOVE. Kill all the rabbits in Snowdin again?” Alphys scoffed.

“More than just rabbits,” Doggo shrugged. Alphys sighed.

“How many times do I have to preach for peace and have to dust you idiots before you _stop_ killing each other?” Alphys demanded.

“Maybe that’d go better for you if you weren’t the first person to start dustin’ folks, Captain,” Doggo growled showing his teeth. Alphys flinched looking away.

“Didn’t come for you though captain,” Doggo said.

“Oh, not this again,” Razz rolled his eyes.

“Oh? Well Sans is bored with me, maybe you’ll be a better challenge,” Alphys grinned stepping aside, letting Doggo step forwards towards Razz. Doggo grinned viciously at Razz. “I learned somethin’ today though,” Doggo said sliding twin knives from his pockets.

“Propper grammar?” Razz drawled sarcastically.

“Nah. Learned I can’t chew on no skeleton bones if the skeleton’s dust. So, I’m not gonna kill ya. Just, rough you up a bit,” Doggo grinned at Razz and Razz snarled. He killed Papyrus!? _Stars dammit._

Razz snarled furiously and summoned two bone swords charging at the shopkeeper. Doggo blocked it with his daggers, just barely.

“Yer bro didn’t even put up a fight,” Doggo said with a grin. “Just let me slice him!”

“Shut up!” Razz growled swinging his bone swords again.

“Hell, he practically begged for me to end him. Why is that? You that unbearable to live with?” Doggo grinned.

“I said shut up!” Razz snarled.

“I can’t wait to dust him next time too,” Doggo growled. “It really riles you up don’t it-“

With a growl Razz slid the swords into the dog’s chest and the dog’s eyes widened. Razz froze. No. He hadn’t meant- he wasn’t trying to _kill_ -

Doggo gave a startled laugh and crumpled to dust.

A rush of power flowed through Razz and he swallowed hard. He had killed someone. He had actually killed someone. He hadn’t meant to. He really hadn’t. He was just trying to incapacitate him.

Alphys cheered.

“That was awesome!” She slapped Razz on the back hard and Razz choked. Oh stars, he was going to be sick. He stepped around Alphys before emptying the contents of his stomach.

“Oh! gross man! But, yeah, that usually happens after a first kill.” Alphys sighed.

Razz groaned.

“I- I have to go,” Razz shivered. He had to collect his brother’s dust and - and- vomit some more. Maybe not in that order.

“Hey, don’t beat yourself up. He’ll come back next reset. Be proud of yourself!” Alphys said. Razz gagged. Proud of himself!? He had _killed_ someone.

 

***

But when Razz got home, Slim was sitting on the couch.

“P-Papy!?” Razz said his voice tight.

 “Bro?” Slim tilted his head looking his brother over. Doggo had lied. Slim was _fine._ Razz felt a wave of relief. He knew Slim would just come back but it hurt like hell every time Slim died. Razz gagged again. He had killed Doggo. . . for no reason?

“Bro? You okay?” Slim stood up with a frown. Razz felt his brother’s check go over him and Razz froze. Slim’s eyes widened.

“You-” Slim stared at Razz looking horrified. Slim swallowed hard. “You have LOVE.” Razz looked away, crossing his arms across his chest.

“I-”

“Who was it?” Slim demanded. Razz swallowed.

“Was it Alphys? Finally got revenge on her? Or maybe it was Muffet. You’ve been bitching about me going to her at the bar for a while now. Or was it a defenseless monster who was too slow to get away?” Slim growled, a rage Razz had never before in Slim's eyelights. Razz’s soul sunk within his chest.

“P-Papy no. I’d never- I’d never do those things,” Razz swallowed hard. Razz was disgusted by his actions, but he hadn’t expected Slim to act like this. “It was Doggo. He attacked _me._ He said he killed you. I was defending myself,” Razz said.

“No. You were avenging me.” Slim said looking disgusted. “I’ve seen you let yourself get dusted over having to kill someone. I can’t believe-” Slim shook his head digging through his pockets pulling out his cigarette pack.

Razz looked away, shame burning through him.

“I- I didn’t mean to kill him,” Razz said softly.

“You don’t kill someone on _accident,_ ” Slim snapped. Razz flinched and the anger in his soul burst.

“Why are you so mad at me?!” Razz demanded. “I was _defending_ myself! You didn’t say shit when Alphys started killing people or when anyone else started killing people. When you were killed or when I was killed! You just shrugged and said it didn’t matter because the dead would be back next reset!” Razz yelled.

Slim’s eyes flashed angrily.  “Because none of them are my brother! I expected better from _you!_ ” Slim snapped. Razz froze the anger within his soul fading and shame and guilt burned through him. He had let his brother down. He had let himself down.

“I- I didn’t mean to,” Razz said softly, his voice cracking. Razz’s bones began to shake as his sockets began to fill with tears. “I’m sorry.”

“You should be,” Slim lit his cigarette. “I can’t stand seeing you with LOVE. Get the fuck out of my sight, until the next reset,” Slim growled. Razz flinched as if struck. Razz swallowed hard. He deserved his brother’s scorn. Right? Didn’t he? He had killed someone. He didn’t deserve to be coddled or hugged or told it was okay like he had hoped Slim’s reaction would be.

“O-okay,” Razz said softly, heading for the door. He deserved this. He had killed someone. Razz gripped the doorknob and he paused. This wasn’t fair.

Slim had killed the human countless times. Sure, when the kid was genocidal and murderous but still. How was what Razz did any different? Why was his brother being so harsh with Razz?

“Papyrus?” Razz turned to look at his brother. Slim flicked his cigarette ashes on the floor and Razz scowled in annoyance.

“What?” Slim snapped his voice harsh.

“Stop being a dick.” Razz snapped crossing his arms. Slim scoffed.

“You _brat!_ ” Slim snapped standing up. “Am I just supposed to be okay with you killing people now?” Slim growled.

 “I didn’t do it on purpose!” Razz growled.

“Tell that to Doggo’s wife!” Slim snapped and Razz flinched. “You could have stopped! You _wanted_ to kill him. It’s all _over_ you. You think I can’t tell?” Slim yelled. Razz clenched his fists.

“You’re wrong! He attacked me, I was defending-”

Slim stepped forward his eyes glowing orange and his palm cracked across Razz’s face. Razz froze looking completely stunned. His brother had hit him. His brother had never hit him before.

Slim’s eyelights were furious, glowing with his golden magic. “Stop lying to me. Stop lying to yourself. You thought he killed me and _you wanted to kill him._ You think I can’t tell? I’m the judge! You can hide it from yourself, but you can’t hide it from me. You wanted him _dead._ ” Slim shook his head looking away from Razz. Razz shivered slightly.

“You’re my little brother. You’re not supposed to be capable of this kind of thing,” Slim said shaking his head. “I didn’t think you’d ever- just- get away from me. Get out. Until the next reset. I can’t stand looking at you.”

Razz flinched. He felt so hurt. Betrayed. Angry. Razz growled and shoved Slim hard. “Asshole!” Razz growled. Slim scowled blinking in shock and he shoved Razz back. Razz growled again.

“Stop it!” Slim snarled.

“Make me!” Razz snapped shoving his brother again. He knew it was childish. He didn’t care. He was so angry. He felt so rejected. Rejected by Slim when he needed him the most. Maybe it was the LOVE, maybe it was the anger that built and built each reset, maybe he was losing his mind, but he was not going to just let Slim kick him out of the house. He wasn’t going to let his brother treat him like this. It wasn’t fair. Slim might have been the judge but that didn’t mean he knew Razz’s feelings. Razz was a good person. _He was_. Maybe a part of him _did_ want Doggo dead, for ‘killing’ his brother but Razz never meant to act on it, he never intended to kill the dog shopkeeper.

Slim picked Razz up like a doll. Razz shrieked in indignation as his brother manhandled Razz outside, placing him on the front porch. Slim slammed the door in his face. Razz snarled angrily and kicked the door hard. It was locked.

“PAPYRUS!” Razz snarled. Razz summoned three bones and launched them through the window shattering the glass. Razz hoisted himself up and climbed in.

“Really.” Slim scowled. Razz snarled and kicked his brother hard in the shin. “Seriously!?” Slim demanded. “ _You wanna have a bad time bro_?”

 

*******

**Stretch**

**Present day**

*******

“What happened next?” Stretch asked. Razz had grown quiet staring at the floor. Stretch’s eyelights flickered to Slim who looked like he was going to be physically ill. Or cry. Or both. Blue looked worried and Undyne shifted nervously.

“Razz…?” Stretch prompted gently. Razz chuckled softly, causing chills to run up Slim’s spine. Razz’s laughter grew. It was loud, joyless, and hysterical. Razz was smiling wide, and cerulean tears began streaming down Razz’s face. Stretch stared in shock.

It was horrifically disturbing to see his brother’s face laughing hysterically while crying. Stretch wasn’t even sure Razz _knew_ he was crying.

“W-what do you think he did?” Razz giggled and choked. “What do you think he did Stretch? Huh? _What do you think he fucking did_!?”

“Razz, calm down,” Stretch said hesitantly placing his hand on Razz’s shoulder as Razz laughed harder.

“He killed me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I'm not all *THAT* sorry. Thoughts? ;)
> 
> [Razz](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qCBEKzPjUU) isn't the most stable monster. Think we are starting to get why!
> 
> Please don't lynch the author! 
> 
> I didn't want to end it there but the chapter was so long already! A lot is left unexplained because of this so i'm really nervous about all the reactions XD Next chapter we see exactly what happened between the brothers, and we get some of Slim's POV of what happened before he's lynched too!


	12. Sorry isn't good enough

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *Kicks door in* 
> 
> SLIM! You got some splainin' to do!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *maniacal laughter intensifies* 
> 
> I think the last chapter single-handedly got all my readers to go from 'Razz you asshole' to 'POOR RAZZ, WTF SLIM?' 
> 
> So, if I do this chapter correctly.... >:D (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ ✧ﾟ･: *

***

Stretch

The silence in the room was deafening until it was interrupted by Razz’s broken barks of laughter. Stretch swallowed hard, willing the chill that had taken over his soul to let go. Slim _killed_ Razz? Impossible. It wasn’t possible, was it? Slim was constantly trying to please his high maintenance brother. Slim never argued with Razz, he took Razz’s constant verbal and physical abuse, hell Slim didn’t even put up a fight when Razz was beating the shit out of him yesterday. There was _no way_ Slim had killed his brother. Stretch refused to believe it. Razz’s chilling laughter faded until just Razz’s soft hitches of breath could be heard, as the monster cried. Razz was still grinning, but the grin twitched downwards, and tears were streaming down the monster’s cheekbones.

Stretch’s soul panged. Razz was an _asshole._ But seeing Razz cry like this hurt Stretch more than he could have ever expected. Razz had his brother’s face. He had his brother’s _voice_. He cried like his brother.  Razz was trembling all over, and then choked sobs began wracking through the short captain’s body and before Stretch knew what he was doing he knelt to the floor and he pulled the short skeleton into his arms, hugging him tightly. Stretch expected to be pushed away by Razz. He expected to be hit or shouted at. Stretch didn’t expect Razz to sob harder, to cling to Stretch for dear life and bawl into his hoodie.

Stretch swallowed hard holding his brother’s double tightly. Stretch’s eyelights flickered over to Slim. This couldn’t be true. Razz had to be wrong or confused, or, or something. But Slim wasn’t trying to deny it, was he? Instead Slim was sitting against the wall, hugging his knees, his head ducked down, his hood covering his features. Stretch couldn’t see Slim’s face, but he saw the way Slim’s shoulders shook, the way the tall skeleton trembled.

 _Why_? _How_? How could Slim have killed Razz? How could a Papyrus be capable of taking a Sans’s life? Anger began to bubble in Stretch’s soul. How could Slim do something like that!?

“Hey, Razz, it’s okay, just breathe,” Stretch said gently, giving his attention back to the hysterical monster in his arms.  None of this was okay, but, Stretch had to get Razz to calm down. He’d never seen Razz like this, and it just _hurt_ to see him in this state. Blue shifted, his sockets wide and sad. Undyne stood frozen, her hand covering her mouth looking absolutely horrified. Stretch glanced down at Razz with worry. Stretch had wanted to distract Razz, not break him.

“Razz? How ya doin’ there buddy?” Stretch said squeezing the small skeleton. Razz’s breath hitched again, and the shorter skeleton sniffed. “Razz? You okay?” Razz took a deep shaky breath.

“H-how dare you touch me!” Razz snarled, and he shoved Stretch hard. Stretch’s sneakers skidded across the tiled floor as he came to a stop a few feet from Razz. Well, that was a good sign, right? Razz was back to being a jerk? Razz was panting hard, and his eyelights met Stretch with a rage Stretch had never seen from the skeleton before. Razz’s eyelights were a deep magenta color and he growled ferally like an animal.

Stretch blinked. He had never seen Razz’s eyelights change color before. They had always been an icy blue.

“...Okay? Uh, Sorry man? I shouldn’t have touched you,” Stretch said holding his hands up in a placating manner. Razz still looked really unstable and if what Razz said was true, that Slim had killed him, it's not like Stretch could blame him.

“Damn right you shouldn’t have touched me, you disgusting piece of shit! I should have put you down like the dog you are years ago.” Razz snarled one eyelight going out in his right socket, the other magenta eyelight engulfing in pink flame.

Stretch bit back a retort. He didn’t think he deserved Razz’s attitude, but he did have Razz’s brother’s face. His murderers face. And it sounded like Razz was confusing him with Slim. Stars, this was so messed up.

Razz snarled and Stretch froze as a blaster zapped into existence at his side. It had three gouges over its left eye, matching Razz’s scar. The blaster’s eyelights were a red-violet color and it opened its jaw wide, gusts of wind pushed at Stretch, the source from the blaster as it summoned magic, a ball of pure energy in the maw of its mouth. Stretch stared in disbelief. _But Razz didn’t have blasters, did he_? That was a Papyrus thing. Right? Blue didn’t have blasters!

“DIE.” Razz snarled. Stretch’s eyelights widened.

“Wh-what- hey -wait- fuck!” Stretch dodged as the blaster released a beam of pure magic, scorching the spot Stretch had been standing in. Stretch blinked stupidly at the spot he had been standing it. That could have killed him. “Razz, stop! Razz it’s me _Stretch.”_ Stretch said frantically as the blaster turned towards him again, it’s jaw unhinging as another energy beam began building.

“Razz please stop! I know you’re hurting but this isn’t going to solve anything!” Blue pleaded, running towards his double.

"Sans no!” Stretch said reaching out to his brother who ran past him towards Razz. Razz grinned wide and the blaster released turned from Stretch, to Blue and released another beam, right at Blue.

“No!” Stretch yelled. As the light faded, Blue was no longer standing there. Stretch’s soul lurched, and he looked around the room frantically for his brother. No, no, no!

Slim appeared next to Stretch with a soft pop as he blipped into existence, his hands firmly on Blue’s shoulders. Blue blinked surprised and a wave of relief washed over Stretch. Oh, thank the stars.

“Stay.” Slim said, a grim look on his face and he teleported behind Razz.

“You piece of shit!” Razz snarled turning sharply, and the blaster released its deadly beam. Slim teleported to Razz’s side avoiding the blast. Slim held his hand out a grim expression on his face and Razz froze his soul lurching out from his rib cage and into Slim’s waiting hand.

“You!” Razz snarled. “I’ll drink the marrow from your bones you pathetic mutt!”

Slim flinched and squeezed the soul in his hand and Razz shrieked falling to his knees.

Stretch took a shaky breath of horror. Slim was committing one of the greatest crimes a monster could commit. To physically take another monster’s soul and purposefully hurt it, was a terrible crime. Razz screamed falling to his side on the floor, his bones clacking. Slim’s grip went slack and Razz’s soul shuddered, hovering above Slim’s palm. Stretch blinked staring at Razz’s soul.

Razz’s soul had completely changed from the last time he had seen it. Originally, when Stretch had first seen the soul (when he had first met Razz), it had been an ice blue color with a drop of red in the center. There had been a white outline or barrier around the soul. Now the soul was completely different.

The soul was turning a blood red color. The pointed top of the soul was red, and the red bled down, melding with the ice blue, the colors melting into each other creating varying colors of red and violet. The red seemed to be taking over the ice blue. The white outline of the soul was no longer white, but the fleeting icy blue color of the original color of the soul.

Slim dug the tips of his sharp fingers into Razz’s soul again and another scream tore from Razz and the skeleton writhed on the floor.

“Slim! _Stop_! You’re hurting him!” Blue gasped. Slim winced, glancing at Blue before he squeezed the soul painfully again. Razz’s shrieks increased and Stretch growled. He had had enough of this. Stretch teleported in front of Slim and went to take the tortured soul from Slim. Slim jumped back dodging Stretch’s attempt.

“I- I’m helping him. I know it doesn’t look like it. Sometimes. . . sometimes hurting and helping are the same thing,” Slim laughed bitterly. Stretch stepped forward, to try and get Razz’s soul away from Slim and he paused, staring at the soul. The red color of the soul was drawing back, the icy natural blue of the soul coming back. Slim dug his sharp claws into the soul tearing more pained screams from his brother but the red shrank and shrank until the soul looked like it originally had, ice blue with a drop of red in the center with a white outline.

Razz snarled angrily his eyelights flashing back to their icy blue. Slim let the soul go ducking his head down submissively as the soul floated back into Razz.

What the fuck was going on!? Stretch stared in confusion.

“What the hell just happened?” Stretch demanded. Slim didn't’ answer, he just stared down at the floor. Razz groaned climbing to his feet and he frowned at Slim before pulling Slim down and punching Slim across the face. Slim yelped in pain but he didn’t move, didn’t try to get away, and didn’t try to grab Razz’s soul again. Razz huffed, looking annoyed pushing his brother back from I’m causing Slim to land on his tailbone with a whimper. Razz crossed his arms looking around the room in confusion.

“The fuck happened?” Razz demanded. Stretch blinked. Did. . . did Razz seriously not remember? And if Razz didn’t remember, why had he just hit Slim!? _Because he can._ Stretch’s mind supplied.  “Did I black out again?” Razz scratched the back of his skull looking around the room.

Stretch sighed covering his face with his palms. Stars. Razz was- Razz was seriously fucked up. Razz might literally be crazy. . . and Stretch couldn’t even blame him. If Blue had killed Stretch, Stretch supposed he’d lose his mind too. But what had that been with Razz’s eyelight color? What about the blaster and Razz’s soul? What was all that!?

“Let's get out of here,” Stretch sighed. “I think I’ve had enough for one day,” Stretch said.  

“Y-yeah,” Blue said, nervously wringing his hands together.

 ***

Blue

 The trip home had been taken in complete silence. Razz seemed to be annoyed and behaved impatiently, so, Razz was acting exactly like himself. He truly didn’t seem to remember what had happened. Blue was afraid to push to see what the last thing Razz remembered was.

Was it going through the notes? Telling them about his world? Or telling them...telling them what Slim did. Blue swallowed hard glancing at Slim as they trudged through the snow of Snowdin. Slim had his eyes downcast, his hands in his jacket pockets. He looked tired. Blue’s soul panged. How could Slim have done such a thing? Killed his brother? No wonder Razz was so angry all the time. Razz must be incredibly hurt.

They walked into the house and Stretch slammed the door shut behind them. He gave Blue an apologetic look.

“W-well I don't know about you guys but I’m hungry. I can make tacos?” Blue said forcing a smile. He needed to think, he needed to process what had happened. What had that been about with Razz’s soul, and why had Slim hurt it so much?

“Oh, hell no. I am so sick of your tacos!” Razz scoffed. “Let me cook,” Razz huffed placing his hands on his hips. Blue blinked, before his eyelights turned to stars.

“Wowie, you want to make lunch, Razz?”

“Shut up, whelp!” Razz scoffed. “I’m a culinary genius, and you should be thankful I’m in such a giving mood,” Razz said, and he marched into the kitchen. Blue went to follow curiously when he heard a sharp _TING._

Blue turned to see Stretch with one eyelight out, the other glowing orange, with his arm outstretched. Slim stood looking shocked, his soul glowing blue. Stretch tossed Slim against the couch hard.

“ _You_. You have some explaining to do.” Stretch all but growled. Blue flinched, surprised by the venom in his brother’s voice. Papy was really angry. Blue frowned towards Slim. Stretch wasn’t the only one angry with Slim. Blue walked over to Stretch and stared at Slim, placing his hands on his hips.

“You better start talking,” Blue said, frowning at Slim. Slim blinked looking between the two, shrinking into his coat.

“I…there’s nothing to explain,” Slim scratched at his ulna nervously. ‘I-I did what M’lord said I did,” Slim’s voice broke.

“Why. How. Go on, I want details.” Stretch growled. Slim looked down at his feet.

“Oh. Okay. Well…”

 ***

**Slim**

**Ten years ago**

***

“Really.” Slim scowled as Razz snarled and kicked Slim hard in the shin. “Seriously!?” Slim demanded. “ _You wanna have a bad time bro_?”

Slim knew he was being overly harsh towards his brother. He knew their world had gone to hell. That monsters were killing left and right, but, Slim had hoped his brother would remain innocent. His brother was the only pure thing Slim had left and he didn’t want that to change.

It physically hurt to see his brother with LOVE. he knew he should be trying to be supportive. He knew it wasn’t even Razz’s fault. Slim knew Razz had been protecting himself. But Slim also knew Razz _wanted_ to do it. You can’t _accidentally_ kill a monster. It’s not like killing a human.  You have to _want it._ At least a part of you. You needed killing intent to kill a monster. The idea that his brother had wanted to hurt someone, kill someone, even if a small part- it hurt Slim.  His brother was better than that. Better than him.

Slim knew he was being selfish. He wasn’t even mad at Razz, not really, he was mad at himself.  He had wanted, needed, to keep his brother innocent. Slim had failed. Seeing Razz with LOVE was seeing his own failure to protect his brother on display.

“Get out!” Slim snapped shoving his brother gently off of him. His shin was beginning to hurt from Razz’s repeated kicks. Razz huffed petulantly, and his sockets narrowed.

“No! You’re not being fair! Why are you treating me like this!?” Razz demanded, and he stomped his foot. Stars he was such a brat lately.

“I told you! I can’t stand looking at you with LOVE.” Slim growled.

“You can’t kick me out of the house because _you’re_ weak.” Razz growled. Slim scowled. Weak!?

“You little shit! In case you didn’t notice, _M’lord,_ ” Slim spat the nickname he’d been throwing at his brother for a while now, at him, “You can't always get what you want.  I don’t have to do anything you say you spoiled little-”

“Greetings.”

Slim froze his eyelights darting around the room.

Oh, for stars sake, _not now_.  A small human in a blue and purple sweater grinned at him from the corner of the room. They waved cheerfully. Slim grit his teeth and clenched his fists.

“Did you miss me Papyrus~” The child giggled.

“What are you staring at?” Razz demanded, his eyelights scanning the room with impatience.  

“I- nothing,” Slim sighed ignoring the small human, looking back at his brother. Razz frowned staring towards the human, not seeing them, and Razz looked back at Slim.

“Look you have no right to judge me,” Razz huffed. “Or kick me out of our home. So -  so fuck you!” Razz said his cheeks blue in anger.

“I can't believe he finally killed someone,” the human said walking over to Razz, unnoticed by him and the child circled the short skeleton. Slim held back a growl.

This human had been haunting Slim for some time. The human started showing up during Chara’s ‘mercy’ runs around the time that all the monsters began remembering the resets. No one seemed to be able to see the tiny menace except him.

Slim remembered he had once asked Chara why, why were they doing this? Why did they just keep resetting and killing everyone repeatedly? Oh sure, there had been resets where they saw the surface and resets where the kid was kind and gentle, but that didn’t make up for all the horrible things the human had done. Chara had looked at Slim solemnly, had cried, said they were sorry and that ‘Frisk’ made them ‘do it’. That ‘Frisk’ could gain control and when Frisk did, Frisk killed everyone.

Sim thought that was complete bullshit. That the kid was blaming their crimes on some imaginary friend. Until one day, when the kid was hiding in the ruins, trying to stay alive. Alphys had been waiting to kill them outside the ruins, and Frisk had appeared in Slim’s star damned living room. The ghost? Demon? Devil child? _Whatever_ Frisk was would give Slim this creepy ass smile, talk to him, ask him questions and tell Slim they could help Slim. That they could stop Chara for good, if Slim let them _in._ To which Slim would promptly tell them to fuck off.

That didn't stop the disturbing little shit from appearing. Every time Chara seemed to be on a mercy run Frisk would appear to Slim and annoy the hell out of him. The worst thing was no one could even see the little demon, just Slim. Maybe Slim was losing his mind? Maybe his mind had created the demon child from Chara’s stupid stories and it manifested in his mind. Stars, Slim was just so tired. He was tired of the endless loops. He was tired of the genocide. He couldn't even escape by dying, _he just came back_. Maybe he really was just losing his star damned mind.

“I gotta say I’m proud of Sans! I never thought I’d see the day he gained LOVE,” Frisk said with a grin and they winked at Slim. Slim scowled.

“Why are you staring at me like that?” Razz demanded crossing his arms. “What, you’re giving me the silent treatment now?”  

“Bro, just, please leave,” Slim sighed. “Please? I- I know I’m being an asshole, okay? I just. . . can't believe you did what you did. I need to process it. Just, please, go away? Leave me alone,” Slim sighed and he slid to the couch covering his face.

Slim sighed feeling the couch sink next to him. Slim glanced over to See his brother frowning at the floor his hands in his lap.

“I’m- I’m really sorry Papy. I’m not just saying that,” Razz sighed. “I-It scares me. That I killed someone,” Razz said softly, and he clenched his fists. “I didn’t think I would, you know? I was just… so angry. You’re right. I did want to kill Doggo,” Razz swallowed hard, tears welling in his sockets. “But I didn’t expect to.”

Slim sighed glancing at his brother. He didn't know what to say. He knew he should comfort his brother. That's what a good brother would do. Hell, it’s what he wanted to do. But another part of him recoiled at the thought of touching his brother while full of LOVE and execution points. Was disgusted by it. Slim swallowed hard. He was being such a jerk.  

“Sans…” Slim started and he startled as Frisk was suddenly alarmingly close to him.

“Do you want to see a trick, Paps? “Frisk grinned wide, their eyes melting in their sockets. Slim startled and looked away flinching slightly. Frisk had done the same creepy face to Slim countless times before, but it always caught him off guard.

“You know what my favorite thing about determination is? “Frisk whispered, and their hand slid through Slim’s ribcage like a ghost’s hand.

“When it’s _unstable_. You’re not determined anymore Papyrus. You’re full of doubts. About yourself, about your brother,” Frisk grinned wide, impossibly wide and Slim groaned feeling as if fire was clasping onto his soul. “And when your determination wavers, when that doubt fills your soul, that’s when I slip in.”

Slim gasped feeling as if a wave of fire had enveloped him. His bones hurt, hell, his _soul_ hurt. Sim frowned, trying to move, but, he couldn’t move. He couldn’t do anything. Slim watched in horror as his arms moved on their own volition- no on Frisk’s volition, and wrapped Razz in a tight hug.

“It’s okay brother, I forgive you,” Slim’s voice came out of his mouth. But that wasn’t Slim talking. Slim hadn’t said that! _What was this?_ He couldn't move, he couldn’t speak, he just watched as Frisk used his body and his voice, as if Slim were a puppet.

“Stop this!” Slim thought.

“Oh hush. This is your own fault. If you weren’t such a delicate flower about your brother having LOVE you’d have had the determination to stop me, but you don’t~” Frisk’s voice was all around Slim, but, Razz didn’t seem to hear it. Razz hugged Slim, or rather Frisk back tightly.

“I’m really sorry,” Razz said against Slim’s side.

“I know,” Frisk said with Slim’s voice. “I know you’re sorry, and I really do forgive you,” Frisk said and Slim felt a jolt of fear spasm throughout his soul as Frisk called upon Slim’s magic. And Slim’s magic _was answering._

“But, you know, I can’t let your actions go unpunished,” Slim felt Frisk use his face to grin widely.

“W-what? What do you mean…?” Razz said with a blink. “Papy?”

The sound of a blaster reverberated around the room. Razz stiffened in Slim’s arms.

“Now bro, this hurts me more than it hurts you,” Frisk said, Slim’s voice sounding amused.

No! Slim’s scream was silent. “Don't do this! Please! Don’t do this! I’ll do anything don’t hurt him!” Slim silently cried out.

“Aw come now Papy~ We’re just teaching your brother a lesson. I mean, don’t be so wishy washy you were literally kicking him out of the house five minutes ago. That’s nothing. Let’s teach him a _real_ lesson.”

“Don’t you fucking dare!” Slim snarled, his voice not saying his words, but Frisk could obviously hear his thoughts. Frisk laughed loudly.

“What are you talking about? Why are your blasters out?” Razz blinked.

“I told you~” Frisk said with Slim’s voice. “You need to be punished.” Frisk shoved Razz hard to the floor and Slim screamed watching helplessly as the blasters went off.

Frisk laughed as the blasters faded, a pile of dust in their wake. Slim screamed. He screamed and screamed. He cried, he raged, he sobbed, and not a sound escaped him. His bones didn’t move an inch. He was completely helpless. He was completely useless. He had just sat there and watched Frisk use his body to kill his little brother.

“Aw, don’t be so sad Papyrus. He’ll be back next reset. But you’re right about one thing, you are useless. You let him die~ Hell you could hardly bring yourself to care all those times I murdered him in Chara’s body or Alphys murdered him. Cuz he’d just come back, right? Why should it matter if it was with your own hands,” Frisk laughed loudly.  “Come on. Let’s see you to kill some friends. Who knows when that little cry baby Chara’s gonna reset? I wanna enjoy this.”

  *******

Slim woke with a start, falling out of his bed his soul pounding. Oh. Oh fuck. Oh, thank the stars. A reset. Slim shivered hard. That had been terrible. Was that what Chara had to live with? This demon child inserting itself into their body and making them do terrible things? Were they helpless viewers as their body reigned destruction and death around them?

Frisk had used Slim’s body for more than just killing Razz. Frisk had used Slim to kill _everyone._ Then they had demanded Slim give them their soul or they’d never let Chara reset. But, they apparently had little to no control over Chara while they were possessing Slim, because there _had_ been a reset, and Slim hadn’t given the twisted demon his soul. They had actually never even found Chara. Chara had probably been hiding in the ruins with Asgore.

A reset. Slim sighed softly running a hand down is face. He was himself again. He could move, he could talk. Frisk was gone. At least for now. And Sans- Sans was alive! Slim felt a wave of nausea go through him. Razz was alive, with his last memory being Slim killing him.

“Sans!” Slim stood up quickly, slamming his door open. “Sans!” Slim ran to his brother’s room, pushing the door open.

Razz was awake, in his bed sobbing hugging his knees.

“Sans,” Slim said gently, pausing in the doorway. Razz stiffened and looked up with tear filed sockets before they narrowed.

Razz’s blue eyelights were red. What in Toriel’s name was with that? Was…. Was Razz possessed by Frisk?

“Stay away from me!” Razz hissed falling back off his bed into the wall. Well, apparently not. That was Razz alright. A very frightened Razz. Slim’s soul sank.

“Sans…” Slim said gently. “I didn’t- it wasn’t-”

“You killed me!” Razz said, tears trailing down his cheekbones. “ _You killed me!_ ”

“I didn’t!” Slim’s soul panged painfully.

“How _dare_ you deny it!?” Razz said his sockets narrowing and a growl left him, low and from the back of his throat. Razz’s fear seemed to do a 180 into anger. Razz’s red eyelights began to glow.

“Sans, please, just listen-” Slim started and fell silent as Razz snarled and charged at him his fist slamming into Slim’s cheekbone. Slim blinked in surprise nearly losing his balance.

“Sans! What are you doing!?” Slim demanded. Razz had never hit him before. Oh, sure the small skeleton had kicked him occasionally and had thrown things at him, but he’d never _hit_ him. But… Slim deserved it. He had let Frisk kill his brother. He had lost the determination to fight the demon off. Slim’s failure had had led to his brother’s death.

He had killed his brother.

“How could you! How could you!” Razz snarled, and he knocked Slim to the ground his fist repeatedly crashing into Slim’s face. Slim let it. He deserved this beating. He deserved far worse. He had stopped caring so much throughout the resets as his brother kept dying and dying. He had let his brother gain LOVE. He had let his brother be killed by his own hand.

Marrow dripped from Razz's knuckles as he scowled at Slim, panting hard. Slim’s face burned and ached from the beating but he kept still, his eyes downcast.

“Sans…?” Slim said glancing at his brother realizing Razz was done hitting him. Stars, face hurt like hell.  Razz had definitely fractured some of the bone. “Sans? I’m so sorry,” Slim looked down. _It wasn’t me._ “I’m a horrible brother.” _I deserve this._ “But. . .” _it wasn’t me. I’d never hurt you. I love you._ The words died on his tongue. It was him. Not directly, but his actions let it happen. Slim ducked his head down, tears welling in his sockets. All of this was his fault. He might as well have been the one to strike his brother down. The blame rested with him. He deserved his brother’s wrath. He deserved so much worse.

“Shut up!” Razz snarled the back of his hand cracking across Slim’s face. Slim blinked seeing stars. “You haven’t even _begun_ to be sorry! What was it you said to me before you turned me to dust? I needed to be punished?” Razz growled, and he summoned a blue bone with a sharp edge. “I think you’re the one who needs to be _punished_ Papyrus.”

“What-” Slim went to teleport but Razz was quicker, slashing down hard. Slim howled as the bone dagger sliced across his right socket. Slim finished his teleport to the other side of the room clutching the wound his vision blurring. Oh shit. Slim panted hard. He couldn’t believe Razz had just done that. Red marrow stained Slim’s hand and his socket ached horribly, and his vision was fading. Razz had hurt him. Razz had _really_ hurt him. His marrow was spilling, he couldn't’ see out of his socket, _it hurt._

“How dare you teleport away!” Razz snarled, and his sharp steel toed boot slammed into Slim’s unsuspecting rib cage. “I’m not even _close_ to being finished with you, you pathetic. . . you pathetic mutt!”

“Sans I-” Slim choked as his brother kicked him again. Stars, and Slim had thought his brother had been kicking him hard before the reset. That had been nothing compared to this. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry. It was- the human. Please…”

“I don't want to hear your pathetic excuses,” Razz snarled, and he gripped Slim’s chin pulling his head hard to the side observing the wounded socket.

“The human this, the human that. It's the human’s fault the world went to shit. It’s the human's fault everyone's killing each other. Everyone blames the human for their own vile urges, instead of themselves! The human didn’t make Alphys kill everyone. The human didn’t make monsters start murdering monsters for petty shit! The human didn’t make YOU kill me! I’m sick of hearing it,” Razz snapped and Slim looked away submissively. His brother was right. If Slim had been stronger he could have fought Frisk off. If he had been more determined. Razz frowned gazing at Slim’s socket and his red eyelights shrank slightly.

“Can you see? Out of the injured socket?” Razz snapped impatiently.

“N-not really - it's blurry,” Slim whispered his soul pounding in his ribcage. “Hurts.” Slim added.

“Good.” Razz growled. Slim flinched. He didn’t want to upset his brother more, so he fell silent.

“Mm.” Razz looked thoughtful. “This won't do at all,” Razz huffed. “A new scar and bad vision is hardly enough to make up for what you did. I think I have a better idea for your punishment,” Razz grinned wickedly. Slim blinked and looked down. He’d let Razz do whatever he wanted to him. He deserved it. He was a horrible brother. He had failed his brother. He had killed his brother.

“Stand against the wall. Now! Your back to me.” Razz growled. Slim blinked but quickly obeyed. Whatever Razz was going to do, he deserved it.

“Here’s a science question for you, Papyrus,” Razz growled summoning his magic. “How many grains of dust do you think you turned me into? One thousand? Two thousand? A million?”

“A handful would probably be over 200,000 grains of dust,” Slim answered over the lump in his throat. “So. . .judging by your size, between 2.5 million and 3 million.”

“Hm. We’ll go high. You turned me into 3 million pieces of dust. I think it's only fair you receive the same number of _lashes_. Unfortunately, I think that’d kill you. . .so I’ll be merciful. You’ll only get 300. Sound fair?” Slim blinked.  Lashes? What did that mean?

Razz had summoned a wicked looking whip with his magic and Slim choked. A blood red whip with a bone handle. Slim tried to speak but words wouldn’t come. Slim swallowed hard.

“Sans, _wait-_ ” Slim choked, turning to his brother.

The whip cracked across Slim’s face and Slim gasped at the overwhelming sting.

“You don’t get to call me that!” Razz growled. “You’ve been calling me M’lord lately. I know it was sarcastic, but, I think it has a nice ring to it. You’ll address me as _that._ Understand? Now turn the fuck around and take what’s coming to you.”

Slim blinked in horror. What was _wrong_ with his brother? Anger, he expected. He had _killed_ Razz. The punching, expected. Acceptable. The slice across his socket wasn’t expected, but, still, mostly acceptable given the circumstances, but a _whipping_? His brother was not a cruel monster. His brother would ** _never_** do something like this. His brother also had blue eyelights, not red. What was happening to Razz?

“I said  turn the fuck around!” Razz snarled, and the whip crashed against Slim’s unsuspecting ribcage. Slim yelped in pain and quickly obeyed, turning around and facing the wall. Did his brother come back _wrong_? Had the reset messed him up somehow? Was there a flaw in the Universe’s code? His brother...his brother would never do this, right?

The whip swooshed down and pain exploded across Slim’s spine. Holy fuck. Slim cried out digging his fingertips into his palms.

“That’s one.” Razz said gleefully. He...he was enjoying this? Slim glanced at his brother nervously and the grin he sported. He really was enjoying this! Slim closed his sockets as the whip sailed down again. Slim screamed out his pain taking in sharp breaths of air. It didn’t matter if his brother had come back wrong. It didn’t matter if there was a flaw in the universal code or his brother’s code. All of this, was Slim’s fault. If this was the way his brother was now, it was Slim’s fault, and Slim deserved every piece of punishment the new Razz decided to give. Slim grit his teeth preparing for the next lash. It was going to be a long day.

  *******

**Present day**

Slim

Slim stared at his lap resisting the urge to chip at his ulna.

“That’s pretty much all there is,” Slim sighed, unable to meet the two pairs of eyelights staring at him.

“Slim… that’s- that’s terrible,” Blue said and Slim flinched as the short skeleton barreled into him hugging him tightly. “I’m so sorry that happened to you.” Blue said into his shoulder. Slim took a shaky breath unsure what to do with such blatant affection. It always caught him so off guard when Blue did stuff like this.

Stretch looked physically ill, his eyelights darting around the room almost nervously.

“But Slim,” Blue looked up at him with his big blue eyes. “You _have_ to tell Razz it that wasn’t you who killed him! He deserves to know the truth!” Slim looked away from the intense pure gaze. Blue was giving him.

“It won't change anything. It won't make a difference. M’lord still died by my hands, by my actions, just not the way he thinks he did- it doesn’t make a difference. It’s still my fault. I  deserve-”

“It’ll make a difference to Razz, don’t you think?” Blue said mercifully releasing Slim from the hug.

“It won’t,” Slim shook his head. “It’s my fault. It’ll just look like an excuse- a-and it is. If I wasn’t so weak- if I had stayed determined-” Slim’s claws raked against his ulna and Slim breathed a sigh of relief at the painful distraction. Blue frowned and stepped forward gripping Slim’s hands.

“Please stop Slim,” Blue said gently. “You’re hurting yourself. Don’t do that.” Blue’s voice was firm and Slim flinched, expecting a blow that would never come. Not from Blueberry anyway.

Stretch sighed softly, walking over to them looking sick and nervous. “So. . .what happened next? I mean, you know. . .” Stretch shuddered, “I mean, after Razz was finished with you. Did Frisk possess you again? Is the human still resetting in your world, over and over?” Stretch shivered. Slim gave Stretch a pitying look.

He knew why Stretch looked like he was about to throw up. Chara in this time period must have already told Stretch about Frisk, and Stretch hadn't believed the human. Of course not. Why would he? But now, Stretch knew the human was telling the truth and Stretch was probably terrified. Terrified of the future. Slim would be.

“Th-that was the last reset,” Slim breathed softly, gesturing to the scar over his right socket. “The very last one.”

Stretch blinked looking horrified and Blue frowned.

“How?” Stretch demanded.

“Razz, he-”

The kitchen door opened, and Razz walked in with a sigh. “Lunch is ready you miserable cretins. Prepare to taste the best food you’ll ever be graced with, masterfully created by me,” Razz said haughtily.

 ***

Razz

Razz really wished he knew what the hell had happened during his latest blackout. His memories in such moments were hazy at best. Razz remembered talking about his world, how monsters began killing each other, and how Alphys had begun training him, if you wanted to call her repeated murder attempts ‘training’ and then, then he was on the floor with his soul aching.

Mutt had been staring at him stupidly, so he punched him in the face for good measure and now Stretch and Blue kept staring at him as if he had murdered their beloved pet. Which normally wouldn't’ bother Razz, (not that it did bother Razz), it didn’t, it just, he didn’t know what the sad looks were for and they were beginning to piss him off.

So, he had cooked to relieve his nervous energy, and the twisting feelings in his soul. Stars his soul _hurt._ It must have been a really bad blackout. Would explain Mutt’s guilty looks. He probably had to stop Razz. Razz looked thoughtful. Maybe he had tried to kill Blue or Stretch? No. They didn’t look afraid, just sad. Ugh.

“Well come on,” Razz snapped at them walking back into the kitchen. Blue immediately perked up as he walked in eyeing the enchiladas with stars in his sockets.

“Wowie! These look amazing Razz!”

“Of course, they do, “Razz huffed. “I made them.” Razz handed Blue and Stretch a plate and shoved a third plate into his brother’s arms.

Slim mumbled his thanks slinking off to the corner of the kitchen to sit on the floor and pick at his food like a bird. Razz rolled his eyes taking a seat across from Blue.

“Wowzers, you’re gonna have to teach me how make these Razz,” Blue said stars still shining in his eyes.

“Mm. sure,” Razz shrugged. Blue glanced at Slim curiously.

“You know you could eat the table, with us, Slim?” Blue said nervously.

“Excuse me, no, he can’t,” Razz snapped. Blue blinked.

“But, why not?”

“Do you let animals eat at your table?” Razz asked raising a brow bone.

Blue breathed out looking very much like he wanted to say something. Razz leaned forward. Oh, he wished he would. Razz was just itching for a fight.

“Hey, Razz,” Stretch was staring at him with a frown. “What’s wrong with your soul?”

“Oh my god Papy! You can’t just ask people what’s wrong with their souls!” Blue groaned.

***

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> >:D
> 
> I might have dated myself with that meme, oh well. ;) 
> 
> Oh [ Razz ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PntLqyafTrI) and [ Slim ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6oYmHdMWzw) what the hell are we going to do with you two?
> 
> I couldn't settle on a song, its 100 percent the reason I'm updating at 3 am. 
> 
> Next chapter we find out what the hell is going on with Razz's soul and magic colors. Probably! Maybe! Maybe Frisk comes and murders everyone, who knows really!?
> 
> Edit: I just realized it was valentines day! *stares at chapter* whoops, that wasn't fluffy, cute, romantic, or smutty huh. Maybe if the stars align I'll throw up a one shot. hm! Or i'll just throw rocks at old couples. (Why should they be happy~) >:D


	13. The Break

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Razz has some huge issues and Stretch wants him to share with the class.
> 
> AKA
> 
> Prepare for the information dump!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Definition of madness FOR NO PARTICULAR REASON ;)  
> 1: the quality or state of being mad: such as  
> a: a state of severe mental illness —not used technically
> 
> b : behavior or thinking that is very foolish or dangerous : extreme folly
> 
> c : ecstasy, enthusiasm
> 
> d : intense anger : rage

***

Razz

Razz scoffed. “There’s nothing wrong with my soul.” Razz shot Stretch a mutinous expression.

“Really? I mean, you don’t seem to remember, but, you got pretty murder happy at the labs and your soul went from the usual light blue to red,” Stretch crossed his arms, giving Razz an impatient look.

Razz sighed. His blackout must have been really bad for _that_ to happen.  

“I mean, I’m no soul expert but that doesn’t seem normal to me,” Stretch said. Razz scowled at Stretch holding up a single middle finger and he glanced to Slim who seemed to shrink into his jacket under Razz’s gaze. Razz rolled his eyelights and looked back to Stretch, then Blue. Blue was looking curious, and he picked at his blue gloves nervously.

“My soul’s fine, don’t worry about it,” Razz snapped.

“Okay, but, if it’s not fine, we’d be happy to help,” Blue said softly, giving Razz an encouraging smile. Razz frowned. Why did Blueberry have to be so damn sweet? It made his soul feel so damn weird. 

“No, I want to know. You’re going to tell me what is going on.” Stretch leaned forward in his chair. “You’re already a loose cannon, needlessly violent, an asshole, you have random blackouts, and now there’s this soul thing going on. I need to know what’s going on with you if you’re going to stay here,” Stretch said.

“Papy!” Blue gasped. “One, language. Two, don’t be so rude!” Blue huffed. “He is our guest!”

“Fuck off Stretch,” Razz growled, his sockets narrowing at the orange hoodied skeleton.

“Fine. Slim? What’s wrong with your bro’s soul?” Stretch asked his white eyelights landing on Slim. Slim’s sockets widened and he choked on the food that he had taken a bite out of. Slim coughed loudly, his golden eyelights darting around warily.

“N-nothing,” Slim answered, loyal to Razz. Razz smirked. _Good dog_.

Stretch sighed loudly and Blue fidgeted nervously. “Please tell us Razz? Maybe we could help?” Blue said softly.

“I don’t need help,” Razz frowned at the innocent skeleton across from him. Blue was quiet for a moment.

“No, you’re the malicious Sans, of course not,” Blue said. “But, you told us what your timeline was like to try and prevent it from happening here right? So, how do I make sure my soul doesn’t change?” Blue asked softly. Razz stabbed his enchilada with a knife staring at Blue.

Blue thought he was clever, didn’t he? Razz knew what he was trying to do. It wasn’t working. But, why not tell them? What did Razz have to lose? Maybe Blue and Stretch could stop their human now, before. . . before everything goes to shit. Why should he care? Razz stared into Blue's wide innocent sockets and Razz sighed.

“We call it the break.” Razz said shortly, cutting his food.

“The break?” Stretch asked sounding uncertain.

Razz leaned forward. “You know the eight soul traits of monsters?” Razz asked.

“Yeah. Cyan; patience, Blue and you. Orange; bravery, me. Blue; integrity, purple; perseverance, green; kindness, yellow; justice, Alphys’s soul trait, Marigold; compassion, your bro I think, and pink; love.” Stretch tilted his head curiously.

“Right. Well there’s six _other_ soul traits. These traits you aren’t born with, but monsters can develop them. For example, when a monster falls down their soul is white, HoPeless,” Razz said tapping his long fingerbones against the table. “The other five are dark red; rage, ruby; wrath, dark blue; depression, dark purple; cruelty, and black; destructive.”

“Those sound awful,” Blue said, his brow bones knitted with worry.

“We call it the break. When a monster's soul changes. It’s when something so horrible, so terrible happens to a monster, that it breaks their soul. Not enough to kill them, but to injure the soul beyond repair. When the break happens, the soul loses the trait it was born with. It gets replaced with one of the five I listed and the monster changes. Their primary trait becomes a negative emotion, they grow bitter, cruel, quick to anger. It’s happened a lot in my time period.” Razz said his eyes flickering over to Slim who avoided his gaze, staring at the plate balancing on his knees.

“Well,” Razz shrugged looking at Blue then Stretch. “I broke.”

 ***

**10 years ago**

**Razz**

Razz slammed the door shut behind him with a growl, stomping down a path in Snowdin towards Waterfall. Monsters dodged out of his way, their eyes wide. Well, Razz _was_ covered in bright red marrow.

Slim’s marrow.

Razz let out a laugh, or was it a sob? Razz really wasn’t sure at this point. Some part, some small part in the back of his mind knew something was _seriously wrong_ with him. He had hurt his brother. No. He had _tortured_ his brother.

And he had enjoyed it.

Razz laughed again, and he looked down at his bare hands at the splatters of marrow marring them like some kind of abstract art. Razz had lost count of the lashes and only stopped the barbaric punishment once Slim had passed out. It could have been fifty lashes, or a hundred. It could have been a thousand.

Razz was only supposed to do 300, but, well, Razz was never good with numbers. It didn’t matter. _It didn’t matter if he went over._ Because Slim deserved it! Slim had **killed** Razz. Had killed his own brother.

Pathetic! _Pathetic! Pathetic,pathetic,pathetic,pathetic,pathetic,pathetic,pathetic,- **pathetic, useless mutt!**_

Razz laughed hard, gripping the cavern walls as he stumbled through waterfall, tears streaming from his sockets. When had he gotten to Waterfall? Razz snorted kicking a rock out of his way stumbling forward.

_What was wrong with him?_

Nothing! Nothing was wrong with him! He was FINE. _Fine fine fine fine fine fine fine fine._ This was Slim’s fault! Betrayer. Murderer. Fratricidal disgusting mutt!

Razz was covered in his brother’s marrow. _But his brother deserved it._ Slim deserved it after what he did! Didn’t he? _Didn’t he!? **Didn’t he!?!?**_

**_He did._ **

And he deserved _so much_ worse, and Razz was going to give it to him. When that mother fucking piece of shit woke up Razz was going to-

“The fuck happened to you?” drawled a voice shattering Razz’s internal thoughts. Razz turned sharply to see Doggo leaning against the water cooler giving Razz a wary look. Had Razz made it to Hotland already? Hadn’t he just entered Waterfall? Was he losing time? Was he blacking out?

“You, uh, just gonna stare at me with that creepy fucking smile?” Doggo demanded with a frown, lighting up a dog treat.

Razz chuckled softly. “You lied to me.”

Doggo cocked his head to the side looking curious. “About killing yer bro? Yeah. Yer fun to rile up. So, who did that to you?” Doggo’s eyes trailed over the red splatters over the skeleton in front of him. Razz felt a check slide over him and the treat fell out of Doggo’s mouth.

“Your HP’s fine. . .whose blood is that!?” Doggo demanded.

“It’s marrow, and you lied to me,” Razz took a step forward. “You didn’t kill my brother. _But you should have._ ” Razz laughed feeling his magic stirring within him. Doggo’s eyes widened slightly.

“Just relax man. You got me last run. We’re even. No need to kill me again,” Doggo took a step back. Razz chuckled. Last run. This was going to be that fucking kid’s last run. Razz was going to make star damned sure of it. Razz turned sharply, leaving the dog staring after him in bewilderment. Razz stormed over to the lab and  slammed his fist repeatedly against the lab door.

Undyne kept it locked after what the amalgamates’s relatives had done to her in retaliation in a reset not too long ago.

“S-Sans?” Undyne’s voice came from the other side.

“Open the fucking door.” Razz growled.  There was a moment of silence before the door opened and Razz stomped in.

“Holy shit,” Undyne blinked at Razz, at the marrow covering him and her blue skin turned a pale blue-green.

“Shit, you hurt?” Alphys voice came from behind the fish scientist. Razz’s sockets narrowed at the yellow lizard. _Traitor. Murderer_. Razz snarled rushing forward cracking the lizard’s head off the wall, the floor, the wall again, and he threw her to the floor stomping down on her windpipe with his heeled boot.

“St-stop!” Undyne gasped, her yellow eyes open wide. Razz huffed scowling down at his ‘best’ friend. Razz removed his heel from her throat and turned sharply, gazing at Undyne intensely. The fish woman swallowed hard.

“You. You’re going to take me into the true labs. I need Determination,” Razz growled.

“W-what?” Alphys gasped from the floor.

“Did I say you could talk?” Razz demanded turning to kick the captain in the side. Alphys yelped in surprise. “No, I fucking didn’t. So, keep that garbage disposal of a mouth shut before I rip your star damned teeth out.” Razz growled.

“The hell!?” Undyne said taking a step back from Razz. “Sans what is wrong with you!? Your never- you aren’t like this!” Undyne said her eyes filling with tears. “This isn’t _you._ You’ve fought against what everyone’s turned into! Why are you- why are you giving in!?” Undyne demanded.

“I’m not giving in,” Razz scoffed. “I’m _better_ than all these idiots killing each other for pleasure. Why kill someone when you can keep them alive, hurt them, and increase their suffering indefinitely?” Razz grinned wide.

“Fuck, you’re sick,” Alphys groaned sitting up. Razz shot the lizard a warning look.

"Your eyes, they're red. That’s not normal,” Undyne frowned looking at Razz curiously.

“They were like that when the reset happened,” Razz shrugged.

“...Did you hear a sound? L-like breaking glass?” Undyne asked softly. Razz blinked and nodded. When he had woken up, he had heard a horrible shattering sound.

“That explains your behavior. Well, mostly,” Undyne mumbled to herself.

“Care to share with the class?” Razz scoffed.

“I-I’ve been calling it ‘The Break’. It’s w-when a monster’s soul, usually due to trauma, loses its soul trait. Th-there soul trait, it  changes, to something, uh, u-usually bad. L-like rage or wrath or-”

“What?” Razz demanded.

“I’m guessing you-yours is changing to wrath or rage I-I’d have to take a look-”

“You are not looking at my soul!” Razz snarled. “Shut up. My soul is _fine._ Now take me to the true labs. I need Determination,” Razz growled.

“W-what for?” Undyne asked softly.

“I’m going to use it to stop the human,” Razz spat. Undyne hesitantly led Red to the elevator.

“I’m staying up here, those amalgamates creep me out,” Alphys said warily.

“Say one more fucking thing Alph, one more word, and I’m taking a tooth!” Razz snarled. Undyne gave Alphys a nervous look and she stepped into the elevator. Razz rolled his eyes as they descended into the labs.

Razz followed the fish monster silently down the winding halls ignoring the wails and groans of the amalgamates lurking within the labs. Razz followed her into a room where she opened a case full of dozens of red vials. Undyne picked one up.

“I want you to inject me with it,” Razz said eyeing the vial of determination.

“W-what!?” Undyne gasped. “Sans, no! You’ve seen- y-you’ve seen what happens,” Undyne hissed.

“I want you to use 1/8th of whatever measurement you used on the smallest monster,” Razz said firmly.

“It’s still la huge risk, Sans, I’ve never successfully injected anyone with DT without them melting!” Undyne hissed.

“Look. if I melt, the kid will reset anyway. And if you won’t do it, I will,” Razz growled. Undyne swallowed hard. She took the vial in her hand and took in about 3 millimeters of DT into a syringe.

“B-bring out your soul,” Undyne said softly. Razz scowled but pulled the heart shape from within his ribcage. Razz frowned at his soul. The cyan soul had seemed to dull, and at the pointed tip of the heart shape a ruby color had set in, it seemed to be trickling down, infecting his soul.

“Wrath,” Undyne’s yellow eyes gazed at his soul. “You’re losing your patience trait. Your gaining wrath.”

“. . . is there any way to stop it?” Razz frowned.

“Not that I know of. The reset might? Or it’ll just reset the physical process. It’s usually an emotional experience that causes the break,” Undyne looked away, to her syringe, and tapped it gently. “R-ready?”

Razz huffed frowning at his soul. “Yes.”

“What do you hope for this to achieve anyway? Do you really think this will help you stop the human?” Undyne asked and she injected the heart in front of her with the needle. Razz’s sockets widened, and he screamed.

“AH! FUCK!” Razz shrieked.

“Oh yeah, this is gonna hurt,” Undyne scratched the back of her head. Razz screamed and screamed. It felt like liquid fire had been stabbed into the entirety of his being. It seemed to race and boil through every bone in his body. Panting hard Razz groaned and looked at his soul. In the center of his soul was a red drop of determination. It was brighter than the ruby color at the tip of his soul, and his soul pulsed, glowing light blue.

“Huh,” Undyne cocked her head to the side. “Interesting.”

“ _Hurts_!” Razz hissed.

“No melting so far. But sometimes it takes a while,” Undyne said more to herself than to Razz.

“Wait. What? No way!” Undyne frowned pulling Razz’s soul forward. Razz snarled, his eyelights trailing back to his soul. The red determination in the center burned brightly, and the blue around it seemed to lighten, turning an icy blue rather than its natural cyan. The red at the tip of his soul, the wrath color faded, replaced by the icy blue. His soul seemed to shudder and pulsed one final time. A white outline encased his soul, the red drop of determination remained, and otherwise his soul was an icy blue color.

“Fascinating,” Undyne breathed.

“W-what happened to my soul?” Razz demanded, and he groaned. The fire that had been pulsing through his soul, through every bone seemed to freeze, and instead of the sharp burn of fire was the icy touch of frost. Razz shivered, and his eyelights misted a frosty blue.

“I’m not exactly sure,” Undyne admitted. “I think the determination had an effect on your soul.”

“Well no shit!” Razz snarled. Razz leaned forward, picking up the syringe Undyne had used frowning at it before sliding it in his pocket.

“I mean, your soul was changing. It was losing its patience and gaining wrath, the DT seemed to have affected it, changed it to, well, whatever this is,” Undyne motioned towards the ice blue soul.

“It’s not patient anymore?” Razz asked.

“I have no idea what this color means,” Undyne breathed. “Maybe it's a new trait? Maybe the DT mixing with the wrath and patience created something. . . unique,” Undyne’s eyes glittered dangerously. Razz snarled pulling his soul back, returning it to his chest.

“Thanks.” Razz growled.

“So, what’s your plan?" Undyne asked again. Razz scowled at her, shivering. He felt so cold. Razz stomped past her heading back to the elevator.

“Come on. I helped you, tell me,” Undyne pressed.

“I’m going to use the determination to help me kill the human, like I said. Permanently,” Razz growled his eyelights flashing. Undyne frowned.

“How is that tiny amount of determination going to stop the human? I set my amalgamates which have far more DT than you after them and the human cut through them like paper.”  Undyne said crossing her arms.

“You’ll see.” Razz growled.

*******

**Present day**

Stretch

Stretch waited for Razz to go on, but Razz had fallen into silence. Razz finished his enchilada before bringing the plate to the sink and washing it. Stretch was honestly surprised Razz wasn’t making Slim clean. Razz didn’t seem like the type to clean. Then again, Razz seemed to like control, maybe it was a control thing?

“What happened next?” Stretch demanded.

“I didn’t melt,” Razz drawled.

“Well, obviously,” Stretch sighed. Razz rolled his eyes and snapped his fingers at Slim who flinched before bringing his plate over to Razz warily. Slim put the plate in the sink and jumped back as if expecting to be hit. Razz rolled his eyelights at Slim and Slim skulked back to the corner of the room, looking nervous.

“So, if the determination changed your soul to the way it is now, what happened at the lab today?” Blue asked looking at Razz with worry. “I know you don’t remember. But it was turning red and you. . .”

“Went bat shit crazy,” Stretch supplied and Blue huffed giving his brother a disapproving look.

“Were violent,” Blue said instead.

“The way Dr. Undyne explained it to me, after further study on a later date, is that the determination halted the wrath’s invasion of my soul. The ice blue color is determination mixing with patience, not mixing with both patience and wrath. The DT mixed with my patience, creating a new trait; persistence. My soul is the color of persistence. Ice blue. Wrath is still there, held at bay by my determination, by my persistence. But if I get too emotional, if my persistence falters, the wrath comes back, and tries to take over.” Razz finished his brother’s dish and he twisted the washcloth in his hands.  

“The only way to stop the wrath is to get my persistence running again. Usually by putting my life at risk or causing me intense pain,” Razz sighed as if this was a very boring and irritating subject. Stretch blinked. Well that explained Slim squeezing Razz’s soul. Apparently, he really had been helping his brother.

Stretch frowned shaking his head. This was so messed up. It made Stretch’s soul hurt. The idea that their human reset so much that everyone started to remember the resets in their universe. That everyone had started to kill each other. That their human was controlled by some ghost child; Frisk. That-that Stretch’s kid might be in the same situation. Was Stretch’s Chara being controlled by some ethereal demon? And poor Slim, being forced to kill his brother, and Razz, the fact that he thought his brother willingly killed him, it broke his soul, hell, it seemed to make him go completely insane. Stretch didn’t think he could ever feel bad for Razz, but he did.

No wonder these two were like this. Stretch eyed the two brothers. He couldn’t leave them like this. Before Stretch figured out how to get these two home, he and Blue, they had to help them. Fix their broken relationship somehow. They both deserved to have their brother back, didn’t they? Even Razz.

Stretch brought his plate to the sink, deep in thought. How had Razz stopped his human? How had the determination helped? Stretch needed to know. He needed to stop his own human. He knew these two were from an alternate universe, but, the universes were too similar for his liking. He could _not_ let things happen here like they had where Razz and Slim were from.

“So,” Blue shifted looking nervous. Razz’s piercing ice eyelights landed on him. “Your soul trait is persistence,” Blue said softly. “Persistence like the drug Slim took?” Stretch blinked in surprise. He hadn't thought of that. He looked to Razz who looked amused and to Slim who seemed to be slowly, but surely, inching his way out of the room.

“Yes. Apparently mixing determination with patience in a soul makes persistence.” Razz said.

"That's why you heal so fast,” Stretch said horror slowly gripping his soul. What was it Razz had said about persistence?

_“Persistence is not a human trait. It’s just like determination in the sense that it keeps you ‘going’. Except it's safe for monsters where determination is not. Persistence acts as a stimulant. Gives you a boost. It can heal fatal wounds, it amps you up, makes you strong, and it causes parts of your personality to hit extremes. It also makes you aggressive, of course. It makes the mutt kill, fuck, talk back, and annoy the shit out of me.”_

“The drug Slim took, it’s the same trait your soul is full of,” Stretch said his soul sinking further. That couldn’t be a coincidence.

“Yes.” Razz agreed. Slim hovered next to the door casting anxious looks towards Razz.

“Where does the drug come from, Razz?” Stretch demanded. Razz laughed softly.

“Where do you think, Stretch? While trying to ‘help’ me Dr. Undyne found that my soul produces eight ounces of persistence a day. She found it could be safely removed from me and injected into monsters and give them the same benefits it gives me. It could heal wounds give a power boost, amongst other perks.” Razz said with a shrug. “I should have never gone back for help from that crazy bitch,” Razz sighed. Stretch winced. That really didn’t sound like a willing procedure. Stretch shook his head. Stars, that was so messed up. These two, their universe, it was so messed up!

Stretch glanced at his brother who was staring at his empty plate, seeming to be lost in thought.

“Any more fucking questions,” Razz spat crossing his arms.

“What did you do to the human?” Stretch asked.

“I killed them, and they stayed dead,” Razz said.

“How?”

“My secret,” Razz grinned nastily and Stretch scowled. Fine. Stretch would just ask Slim. Stretch was sure Slim knew. He’d just have to get him in private, when Razz wasn’t lurking around. Speaking of Slim, Slim had slipped out unnoticed. That was strange.

“Here Razz, I’ll help you put the left overs away,” Blue said jumping up, looking thankful for having something to do. Stretch made his way across the room, slipping out, looking for Slim. Stretch frowned seeing the living room empty, and he went outside.

There Slim was leaning against the porch banister, lighting  a cigarette in his mouth.

“Hey,” Stretch said softly. Slim jumped slightly but gave a slight nod. “You okay man? This is a lot of painful shit being brought up.”

Slim sighed, blowing out a cloud of smoke. “I’m fine. Just- just don’t want M’lord to go into another blackout.”

“That happen a lot?” Stretch frowned.

“No, no. But, its- like you said. Sensitive topic,” Slim took another drag his hands trembling.

“None of this is your fault man,” Stretch sighed, digging a cigarette out of his own pack. “I know you don’t believe me. I know you blame yourself. . . but, it’s not your fault.” Slim didn’t say anything, he just stared out into the town, breathing out a ring of smoke.

“Look. I need to know how your bro stopped the human,” Stretch shifted nervously.

“Why? So you can kill them the same way?” Slim turned frowning. “Now you know that its not their fault. There being controlled. You really going to end their life for your own peace of mind?” Slim asked. Stretch swallowed hard clenching and unclenching his fists. He didn’t _want_ to kill Chara. Especially now that he knew Chara might be innocent. But he couldn’t risk Blue starging to remember. The people of the underground starting to remember. He couldn’t let Blue turn into Razz. Stretch shuddered.

“Just because your human was being controlled doesn’t mean mine is,” Stretch argued. Slim laughed, flicking the ashes of his cigarette to the ground lazily.

“You still think we are from another world? Another universe?” Slim asked.

“I know it,” Stretch bristled.

“Give me some credit Stretch. I’m a pretty smart guy. PHD and all that. Why do you think I immediately assumed I was in the past, and not in an alternate universe?” Slim asked his golden eyelights looking melancholy. Stretch frowned.

“Because they’re so alike,” Stretch said.

“Exactly alike,” Slim said.

"that you know of,” Stretch frowned. “But they’re different. I know they are. Maybe you come from a really similar universe, but, it’s not this one. It’s not,” Stretch said taking a sharp drag of his cigarette.

Slim looked like he was going to say something, but the door opened, Blue and Razz stepping out. Razz immediately scowled his eyelights piercing Stretch’s cigarette as if it had personally insulted Razz’s manhood.

“Ugh. This is such a nasty habit, you two,” Blue scolded.

“Sorry bro,” Stretch shrugged. Slim put his out, a sheepish look on his face.

“It’s okay,” Blue said his features softening. The small skeleton shifted slightly, before looking up at Stretch. “Hey Papy?” Blue’s voice was soft and his eyelights seemed to bore into Stretch’s. “Please tell me the truth. Do we have a human? A human that resets?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woof, I hope that didn't get too dry towards the end with all that information! 
> 
> Those of you who are reading the sister to this fanfic, Saving Papyrus, already know about the six not so great soul traits. Underfell Papyrus from that story has a soul trait of wrath for comparison. His is just complete. ;) 
> 
> Dammit [ Razz ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yuo6L3a-GFM) normal people don't treat their brothers like this!
> 
> Next chapter Stretch has to answer to Blue.


	14. Consequences

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one where Stretch still tries to keep Blue in the dark
> 
> AKA
> 
> Our last Swapfell history lesson! (maybe)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ARGH I'm sorry this is like . . . almost three weeks late >.> I had midterms so you can imagine how that went! I'm behind on everything I tell you, everything! *throws hands in the air*

***

Stretch

Don’t panic. Don’t panic. _ Don’t panic. _ Stretch took a deep breath gazing back at his brother and his impossibly wide blue eyelights. Stretch forced a lazy smile.

“Of course we don’t have a human bro,” Stretch lied softly. “I’d tell you.”

Sharp pain exploded on the side of Stretch’s face and he blinked stupidly trying to figure out what had just happened. Stretch touched his cheek, pulling his hand back to see bright red marrow staining the tips of his phalanges.

“ _Y_ __o_ u filthy liar _ !” Razz snarled and Stretch dodged this time as a small bone like dagger whizzed past his face, thrown from the short angry captain. Stretch blinked in shock. It was a wonder he didn’t lose his 1 HP. Then again Slim only had 1 HP as well and Razz's constant abuse didn't seem to phase it.

“Hey!” Stretch snarled, his left socket engulfing in an orange flame. “Stars! What the hell!”

“All you _ ever do _ is lie!” Razz growled, his hands glowing with ice blue magic, another dagger like bone appearing in his hand. Slim took a few steps back giving Stretch and Razz a wide berth. Stretch sighed, some help Slim was.

“Razz, don’t hurt him!” Blue scolded.

“You don’t even know me!” Stretch snapped at Razz, clenching his fists.

“Of course I know you, you idiot, you’re a younger version of the mutt.” Razz growled.

“I’m _ not  _ Slim! You know what, fine. I  _ did _ lie, Razz. I lied to  _ you _ , not Blue. You and Slim aren’t from the future. Your from a different universe, okay? A similar one, but  **not** this one. I had to get you to stop trying to kill us like a psychopath, so, I let you think we were your past selves. Your universe just happens to be close enough to this one that you actually believed it.” Stretch grit his teeth. Razz paused, his sockets narrowing.

Stretch sighed and turned back to Blue. “So no, there’s no human, not in this universe.” Stretch lied softly. Blue blinked, his grin straining.

“. . .Papy. Could- could you please stop lying to me?” Blue asked softly and Stretch flinched.  _ No no no _ . He couldn’t deal with this. He  _ needed _ Blue to believe him. He needed Blue to stay out of this. To be happy. He couldn't handle this. Not right now. Blue wasn’t supposed to find out. He was never supposed to find out.  _ Never ever ever! _

Blue frowned, wringing his hands together. “You really think I can’t tell when your lying? That I can’t tell that your not okay? You’re tired all of the time, beyond laziness. You’re exhausted. You have awful nightmares, and your sad. So I try to be extra happy for both of us. . .but,  it's the human. Isn’t it? They’re here, and they keep resetting and- and killing everyone? Killing me? And your all alone.” Blue looked down his voice cracking, tears welling in his sockets.

“But you don’t have to be alone Papy! You can talk to me! Even if I forget, tell me! Because I can tell you’re not okay. You don’t have to suffer alone!” Stretch took a step back from his brother his soul pounding against his ribcage.

“You don’t have to pretend and hide,” Blue took a step towards Stretch and Stretch took another step back. Blue frowned. “Papy?”

“Look there isn’t a human!” Stretch snapped his voice tight. “I don’t know why you think- look I’m  _ fine _ Sans. Really. I wouldn’t lie to you and- and just-”

Blue ran forward and hugged Stretch tightly around his middle and a strangled sob tore from Stretch’s throat. “E-everything’s  _ fine. _ T-there isn’t a human…I’m fine, everything..is....”

“Papy…?” Blue looked up at him sadly and Stretch’s soul panged sharply, tears burning in the back of Stretch’s sockets.

“I- I-” Stretch choked. He had to get it together. He couldn’t break down. Not like this. Not in front of his little bro. He had to be strong for Blue. Stars, why was he like this? Why was he so weak? Why was he such a piece of shit? If he wasn’t so fragile, Sans wouldn’t have been able to tell that  _ anything _ was wrong in the first place! Stretch’s shoulders trembled, and he grit his teeth holding back the wave of despair that overtook him.

“Papy, it’s okay…” Blue pulled at Stretch’s hoodie, pulling Stretch down to his knees gently.

“No,” Stretch hissed, halfheartedly trying to push Blue away. Blue ignored Stretch’s hands swatting at him harmlessly and Blue hugged him tightly, pressing Stretch’s skull to his shoulder and Stretch sobbed brokenly into it.

Stretch was so weak. Pathetic. Useless. He couldn’t protect his little bro against the human, and now he couldn’t even protect him from the truth. He was such a failure, just like Gaster always told him he was _. _

“It’s okay Papy,” Blue said softly holding Stretch close to him, rubbing small soothing circles along Stretch’s spine. “It’s going to be okay.”

Stretch wasn’t sure how long he cried into his brother’s shoulder, but when he finally calmed down they were both sitting on their porch floor, Blue’s gentle but strong arms were firmly around him and Blue was whispering words of love and encouragement. Razz and Slim at some point had given them their privacy, which Stretch was eternally thankful for.

“I-I’m sorry bro,” Stretch wiped his sockets furiously. He was the big brother. He was supposed to take care of Blue, not the other way around. How could he fall apart like this!?

“None of this is your fault Papy,” Blue said with a sad smile, resting his skull against his brother’s. “Your so brave! For going through what you’ve been through. You don’t deserve all the awful things that have happened,” Blue squeezed Stretch gently.

Stretch sighed clinging to his brother tightly. Stars. The only thing Stretch didn’t deserve was his amazing brother. Not after he had failed to protect his brother from the human, had let him die so many times. He didn’t deserve to be comforted, he didn’t deserve his brother’s love.  “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you…” Stretch said softly into his brother’s battle body.

“Well, I understand. I kept forgetting everything, right? That seems kind of hopeless. I hate that you had to be alone for so long. It sounds so l-lonely,” Blue sniffed and scrubbed at his face with the back of his hand. Stretch sat up some looking at Blue with concern. Great. He had made his brother cry.

“I’m sorry!” Stretch said gently wiping away his brother’s tears with a thumb.

“Papyrus you have nothing to be sorry for!” Blue sucked in a breath trying to calm down. “I j-just hate that you’ve been living like that. All alone. Promise me you’ll tell me. Every time I for-forget. Please Papy! St-stop keeping me in the dark! Don’t go through this alone,” Blue pleaded, cerulean tears spilling down his face.

Stretch shuddered, fresh tears trickling from his own sockets down his cheekbones. “I… but bro. I don’t want to burden you,” Stretch said softly. “Why hurt you over and over again when it makes no difference?”

Blue gasped a stern look coming in his eyes. “Because I’m asking you too! Because I don’t want you to be  _ alone. _ If i’m g-getting killed over and over by a human I’m getting hurt either way. Papyrus promise me you’ll tell me when or if I forget. Promise!” Blue said staring Stretch straight in the sockets looking the most serious Stretch had ever seen him.

“Bro...you know I hate makin’ promises,” Stretch sighed.

“Papyrus. We are in this  _ together. _ Even when I forget. I’m  _ not _ a baby bones. I can take it. I want to be there for you. Let me.” Blue huffed. Stretch sighed.

“O-okay...okay bro.” Stretch sighed closing his eyes pulling his brother close. “Okay. I promise.”

***

Razz

Razz needed something to do with his hands, but, he had already cleaned everything in the already clean house. Razz paced back and forth clenching and unclenching his fists. Slim watched him from the corner of his socket, sitting on the couch, sipping at a bottle of barbecue sauce he had pilfered from Stretch and Blue’s kitchen.

“Ugh!” Razz stomped his foot and turned to glare at the mutt. “This is bullshit! We are stuck here in this awful time period or universe- whatever the fuck it is, and we aren’t any closer to getting home! I still know next to nothing about this Dr. Gaster asshole who attacked us, and Stretch has been out there leaking all over Blueberry for at least an hour,” Razz huffed crossing his arms. Slim raised a single brow ridge.

“It’s called crying m’lord,” Slim drawled around his barbecue sauce and Razz promptly flipped him off.

“If Stretch is going to cry, it should at least be enjoyable.” Razz grumbled crossing his arms. “Not all this touchy feely bullshit. Like, if someone had broken his arm and he was crying it’d be hilarious, but this just makes me feel weird.” Razz frowned.

Slim looked at Razz over his barbecue sauce bottle. “You mean your not amused by it?”

Razz squinted at the mutt. He couldn’t tell if he was being sarcastic or genuinely curious.  “That’s what I’m saying.” Razz said with a long suffering sigh.

“Do you think your sick?” Slim asked with a neutral expression. Razz’s sockets narrowed. “It almost sounds like you care. I didn’t think you had any empathy left. Maybe you should go lay down?” Slim drawled and he tilted his head back, taking another swig of the barbecue sauce. Razz growled. Definitely sarcasm. Since when did his mutt think he could get away with barking?

Razz stepped towards his brother cracking his knuckles. He knew how to muzzle an arrogant mutt. Idiot must have spiked his sauce. Liquid courage and persistence were the only things that ever made his dog think he could growl at him.

That’s alright. Razz would remind him of his star damned place. Razz clenched his hand into a fist when the door opened and Blue stepped inside looking exhausted.

“Hey,” Blue said with a small weak smile towards Slim then to Razz. Slim sat forward looking at Blue with concern. Razz scowled. _Seriously!?_  Why was Slim always so worried about that fucking Blueberry - ~~but never Razz~~ -!?” Razz huffed crossing his arms. He wasn't jealous.  _he wasn't!_

“Everything okay?” Slim asked inching along the couch away from Razz, likely sensing his master’s displeasure.  

“Oh yeah,” Blue said scratching the back of his skull. “I mean. It’s a lot to take in? A-and I think Papy, he- he’s been trying to deal with this alone for a really long time. He uh, went to bed, but I think he’s okay now?” Blue said trailing off, looking unsure.

Slim frowned down at his bottle of barbecue sauce. “He. . . just wanted to protect you, you know?” Slim said softly, scratching the back of his skull.

“Oh! I know that! I’m not mad. I just want to be there for him,” Blue said and he looked down wringing his hands together nervously. “I hate that he suffered like that all alone. . .”

Razz huffed rolling his eyelights. It was Stretch’s own fault for not opening up to his brother. Stretch was a moron. Like Slim. They were both morons! If this really was another universe and not the past, then Razz had a sneaking suspicion that all versions of Papyrus, were morons. 

“Anyway, I was really hoping- um,” Blue squirmed looking uncomfortable before looking up at Razz. “I want you to tell me how to stop the human. B-because I’m going to stop them, before - before our world ends up like yours.” Blue said firmly, a look of determination filling his eyelights.

Razz hummed thoughtfully looking Blue over. Razz observed Blue’s bright blue eyelights, his dedication to his brother, and his overwhelming innocence. “No,” Razz said softly. Blue’s eyes flashed angrily.

“Why not!? It- it needs to be stopped! Papy can’t keep living like this! I don’t  _ want _ everyone to-” Blue’s voice cut off and his bones rattled. “I won't let what happened in your world happen to mine.” 

“No,” Razz said again crossing his arms looking Blueberry over critically. “You’re not strong enough.” Razz said and he grinned, seeing the anger flash in Blue’s eyelights.

“You should know better than anyone about how strong I can be!” Blue snapped his voice raising. “I’m not  _ weak _ ! I’m not a baby bones!” Blue yelled his cheeks flushing blue in anger. “I’m so tired of everyone treating me like I can’t handle things!”

“Hmm,” Razz drawled, a small flicker of pride running through his soul at Blue’s defiance. He knew  _ exactly _ what it was like to be underestimated, to be kept in the dark, to be told he wasn’t strong enough, ready, all in the name of protecting his supposed innocence. To be treated like a child.

But Razz also knew what it was like to lose that innocence. To not be ready, and the toll it took. As much as Blueberry annoyed him, as much as his cheerful sweet persona was like nails scratching along the chalkboard of Razz’s mind, Razz didn’t  _ want _ to be the one to take away that innocence. That light. He didn't want to witness it.

But it wasn’t really Razz’s choice, was it? Who was he to make that decision for Blue? He certainly wasn’t his overbearing brother. He  _was_ Blue. Either a future version of him, or an alternate. 

“If you go through with this, you have to kill the human, Blue. You know that, right? Are you really prepared for that?” Razz demanded crossing his arms. “To take a child’s life? To gain permanent LOVE?”

Blue faltered slightly, a sad look filling his eyelights. Blue swallowed and grit his teeth. “If. . . if it will save everyone,” Blue said softly. “If it will stop what happened in your world from happening here! If it will save Papy from the endless loop he’s stuck in,” Blue said firmly and Slim bristled his golden eyelights flashing.

“Blue, no.” Slim said firmly and Razz scowled at his dog. 

“You don’t get to make that decision for him!” Razz snapped and Slim flinched under Razz’s reprimand. Slim glanced at Razz warily then back to Blue.

“Blue, you don’t understand the cost of taking a life. It changes you, forever.” Slim said softly, worry shining in his eyelights as he stared at Blue.

Blue frowned letting out a breath. “If I don’t stop the human, who will? If I just copy what Razz did there’s no room for error! I-it’s guaranteed. But if I let Papy try he could take too much DT and- and melt o-or-” Blue shuddered falling quiet.

“M’lord?” Slim asked his eyelights flickering to Razz and Razz scowled. What now? “W-what if we took care of their human problem?” Slim asked nervously his eyelights darting away from Razz’s piercing gaze.

Razz sighed. Leave it to the mutt to just volunteer Razz for an assassination job. Wouldn’t be the first time. Still, if Razz and Slim killed this world or timeline’s child it would stop the same kind of horrible time loop from happening, and, it would preserve Blueberry’s innocence.  It would give Blue and Stretch the life Razz wanted.

“I suppose we could try,” Razz said with a shrug. “But if the human is still able to reset what the fuck is going to happen to us?” Razz demanded.

“I. . . don’t know,” Slim said with a grim look. “But if you do it  _ right  _ M’lord, the human won't be able to reset,” Slim added. Razz growled. He was getting sick of Slim’s attitude. If Slim thought Razz wasn’t catching it he was sorely mistaken.  

“I know what I need to do,” Razz snapped and he gasped as Blue crashed into him, enveloping him into a tight embrace.

“R-really Razz? You’d stop the human for us?!” Blue asked his eyelights forming stars.

“Release me!” Razz growled.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Blue said hugging Razz firmly. Razz groaned sighing and he gave Blue a hesitant pat on his spine.

“Whatever. I just like killing things okay? I’m not doing it for  _ you. _ And especially not for that filthy  _ ashtray _ brother of yours. Understand?” Razz growled. Blue grinned widely at him.

“Still, thank you,” Blue said, releasing Razz from the crushing hug, only to pause and hug him again.

“UNGH. Blue! Let go!” Razz groaned.

“FRIENDSHIP HUG!” Blue yelled.

“Oh my stars, no! Release me right now or I will punish you!” Razz snarled. Blue squeezed him tightly, ignoring the threat they both knew was empty.

"Better let him go bro,” Stretch’s voice came from the kitchen entrance sounding amused. “Think he might combust.”

“Oh, fuck off,” Razz growled and Blue released Razz with a large smile.

“Papy, Razz said he would help us stop the human! Slim too!" Blue said. Stretch raised a single brow bone.

“Did he?” Stretch said looking at Slim who looked away then to Razz who flipped him off. “And why would they do that?”

Blue huffed. “Because they're nice people and they want to keep our timeline safe,” Blue said placing his hands on his hips.

“No, I told you, I like killing,” Razz said crossing his arms. “You and your timeline means  _ nothing  _ to me. Especially if you are from another world.” Razz said.

Stretch smirked and Razz groaned. He did not like that look.

“Aw, Razz. I had no idea you cared so berry much.”

“I WILL END YOU!” Razz snarled.

“So how are you going to stop the human, or is that still top secret?” Stretch asked cocking his skull to the side curiously. Razz scowled crossing his arms. “How did you stop your human, what’s the big secret?”

"No secret, I just don’t have time to waste just to sate your curiosity,” Razz snapped impatiently. “Mutt you tell them, I have business to attend to.”

“What business?” Stretch demanded. Razz rolled his eyes.

“I don’t answer to you, cancer stick,” Razz scoffed and he walked out, hitting his shoulder off of Stretch’s arm as he stomped past him and out the front door.

Razz sighed leaning against the door closing his eyes. Truthfully, he just didn’t want to  _ think _ about it. It hadn’t been his best moment, what he did to the human. Not that he cared what Stretch or Blueberry thought of him, because he didn’t, but he didn’t want to relive those memories unless he had to. He had been so star damned  _weak._ Razz growled. He couldn't think about it, he wouldn't. Especially if he was going to  try to do it  _ again. _

Razz shuddered and quickly walked forward, down the path ignoring the strange stares he received from the townsfolk of Snowdin. Most of them still didn’t realize Slim and he existed, despite the rumors going around. Razz sighed stopping before the river, staring at the river person who cheerfully waved from their boat.

Razz needed to go back to the labs, if he was really going to do this. If he was really going to stop this version of Chara for good.

***

Slim

Slim wasn’t sure how long it would take Stretch to realize Slim had cracked into his whiskey supply hidden under the kitchen sink. His double didn’t seem to notice yet or Blueberry for that matter, so Slim sipped at his spiked barbecue sauce in relative peace waiting for the shitstorm to arrive. Maybe they wouldn’t care? Nah, they would. Slim wasn’t that lucky.

Stretch at least would throw a fit. Blueberry would probably frown in disapproval, which was a small price to pay for the delightful burn of the whiskey sliding down his throat and the edge of the day letting off if only by a little. A price well worth paying in Slim’s opinion.

“Is- is anyone else worried about letting Razz run off alone?” Stretch demanded looking concerned.

“He can take care of himself,” Slim said licking at his barbecue sauce.

“I’m not worried about  _ his  _ safety! I’m worried about other monsters,” Stretch said with a groan.

“Papy, He hasn’t been violent for at least an hour,” Blue said.

“That isn’t that comforting bro.” Stretch sighed and he sat on the couch next to Slim looking thoughtful. “Alright so what is Razz hiding? How did he stop the human?” Stretch demanded.

Slim sighed. Where to start?

*******

**10 years ago**

**Swapfell**

Slim

Everything hurt. Bones Slim didn’t even know he  _ had _ hurt. It had been over a day since his brother’s cruel punishment and Razz still hadn’t returned. At least Slim didn’t think Razz had returned. Slim hadn’t moved from Razz’s bedroom floor since he  had woken up in the middle of the night in a drying puddle of his own marrow. He was kind of hoping that he would have dusted, but, it seemed that despite the indescribable pain he was in, his HP hadn’t even dropped by a single iota.

Slim kept checking just in case. He was always disappointed. How? How could he have lost  _ this  _ much marrow and be at max HP? 

When Slim realized, despite his wishing, that he probably wasn’t going to dust, Slim still continued to lie on the floor like a log in the hopes that the kid would just reset. Why bother moving and cleaning his wounds to prevent infection and go through all that effort if it was going to just be reset? He’d much rather lay here and not agitate the injuries.

A reset would fix all the aches and pains, it’d fix the blurry eyesight of his right socket, it’d maybe even fix Razz who seemed to have completely lost his fucking mind. But so far, no reset. With a sigh, Slim realized he should probably get up off the damn floor.

Getting up was easier said than done. His bones were stiff from the lack of use and moving caused the welts that criss crossed over his ivory bones to sting.  

“Ugh,” Slim groaned and with no small amount of effort he pulled himself up off the floor, to the bathroom, and he cleaned himself the best he could. Slim sighed, fists clenched around his orange hoodie. It was covered in marrow and was in tatters. Slim stumbled into his room tossing the hoodie to the floor and he began digging through his closet.

Slim didn’t like not having a hoodie. He liked being covered. It made him feel safe. Which was ridiculous. Slim had died countless times in his hoodie. Still, the hoodie was comforting, and at the moment it was ruined. All Slim had was tank tops to wear, as he usually wore them under his hoodie. Slim paused. Well there was the orange turtleneck Razz had made for him. His brother had finished it on several occasions during the longer resets and gifted it to him. Each time had been harder and harder for Slim to pretend to be surprised.

Slim huffed, sliding on a black tank top before walking back into his brother’s room, not sure where his brother had kept the gift. When Razz began remembering the resets he had stopped bothering to finish the turtleneck and gift it. Slim stepped over the baby blue rug stained with Slim’s marrow and into the closet. After a moments of hesitation he opened the chest, finding the half knitted turtleneck. Slim sighed, and quickly got to work. After a few hours he finished, and it came out better than he had expected. He used to sew and knit both his and Razz’s clothes, when Razz was just a kid, but he hadn’t had to do it in years. Slim slipped the turtleneck on and sighed immediately feeling better now that his bones were more thoroughly covered.

Most of the damage Razz had done was easily hidden by the orange turtleneck and Slim made his way down the stairs before stumbling out and to Muffet’s cafe.

A bell rang as Slim pushed the door open and a bottle crashed against the wall next to him glass shattering.

“I said get the fuck out!” Muffet roared. Slim swallowed and he held his hands up placating manner.

“Muffet? It’s me!” Slim said hesitantly.

“O-oh. Papyrus- I-I’m sorry,” Muffet said her five eyes blinking at him.  Muffet looked away wringing several of her hands together. Muffet looked rough. Her pigtails were wild and gnatted and she sported several bruises and cuts. One of her eyes was swollen and Slim’s stomach dropped when he realized she was missing an arm.

“Come in,” Muffet sighed stepping behind the bar. Slim slowly walked over, his hands reaching for pockets he no longer had. He sighed sitting at a stool his eyelights trailing over her battered form.

“Who?” Slim growled. Muffet’s lips twitched into a half smile.

“So protective of me, aren’t you dearie?~” Muffet drawled pulling out honey from under the bar, sliding it over to him.

“Who?” Slim demanded again.

“Couple of bear monsters. They’re dead. But your concern is appreciated,” Muffet said leaning against the bar pouring herself a shot of pure whiskey. “Doesn’t matter, arm will come back with next reset and I’ll be ready for them. Who roughed you up?” Muffet asked an eyebrow arching.

Slim sighed tilting the honey back, squeezing it into his mouth. “Sans.”

Muffet coughed and spit out her whiskey. “ _ What _ !?” Muffet demanded. Before Slim could begin to explain, (not that he even wanted to) his phone rang. Slim raised an eyebrow seeing that Undyne was calling.

“ Dr. Dyin’, to what do I owe the pleasure?” Slim sighed.

“You know i hate that nickname,” Undyne groaned from the other end.

“Mm, don’t be like that Dyin,” Slim teased.

“Shut up and listen,” Undyne sighed. “Your brother needs your help.” Slim stiffened his sockets narrowing.

“How so?” Slim drawled running his fingertips around the rim of the honey nozzle.

“He’s fighting the human,” Undyne said.

“Okay? And what do you want me to do about it? If the human dies they’ll re-load and eventually kill him. When Sans dies the human will eventually reset, they always do.” Slim said squirting more honey onto his orange tongue.

“Papyrus-” Undyne said.

“Just let him die, it _ doesn’t matter _ ,” Slim snapped into the phone. Muffet raised a curious eyebrow and Undyne gasped.

“That’s  _ cold _ man,” Undyne hissed. Slim grit his teeth.

“None of it matters, Undyne. Nothing matters. It just resets and resets and fuckin’ resets,” Slim spat about to hang up. How many times had the human killed Razz already? At least they were doing it with Chara’s hands and not Slim’s. Maybe his brother would come back  _ better _ next reset?

“Because this time your brother has DETERMINATION, and I don’t know what will happen if he falls down or if things reset!” Undyne said softly and Slim froze his soul shriveling in his rib cage.

“What!?” Slim demanded his eyelights flashing gold. “ _ What did you do Undyne _ !?” Slim snarled standing up knocking his chair and the honey over causing Muffet to shift nervously her five eyes going wide.

“Look he asked me!” Undyne said quickly, her voice raising. “He seemed to think it would help him stop the human he-” Undyne paused and she sighed. “He wasn’t himself Paps. His eyelights were red and then-well, you’ll see. He’s fighting the human by your sentry station if you decide to give a fuck.” Undyne hung up before Slim could say another word.

Slim growled into his palms. Why. Why would Razz do this? Was his brother going to melt if the human struck a killing blow? Would he turn into some amalgamation or would he dust? Would anything change at all even? The DT wouldn’t stick through a reset, would it? It might. Determination was a stubborn fucking thing. Slim would know. His own DT was what caused him to remember every reset long before any other monster had started to.

Slim grit his teeth. If his brother died he wasn’t sure what would happen, or if it’d be permanent.  _ Ha. How could it be permanent? Nothing ever was. It just resets over and over and over and over and over and over and  _ **_fucking over._ **

“Papyrus?” Muffet said softly, giving him a worried look.

“Put it on my Tab, Muffy,” Slim sighed and he closed his eyes slipping through the void, opening his eyes to his sentry station, and pristine white snow covered in blood.

Chara was whimpering, covered in blood. Two ice blue bones were embedded through each of their thighs into the ground pinning them there and making Slim’s stomach lurch. Kid was on a mercy run, he could already tell.

Razz stood over them their soul in his fist. Razz was grinning far to wide, his eyelights shaking and hazy. The color was off. It was no longer the disturbing ruby red but not the baby blue they had been before either. This color was frigid, intense, and a lighter blue.

“P-please Sans.  _ You’re my friend. _ It was Frisk,  _ It was Frisk!  _ You said you believed me!!!” Chara whimpered fat tears running down their rosy cheeks. “Y-you said you believed in me. That I could do better. Please-”

“I don’t believe in anyone. Not anymore,” Razz scoffed and Slim flinched standing behind his brother. Slim should say something. Slim should stop his brother, but anything he could have thought to say died on his tongue as he watched Razz pull out a syringe before stabbing it into Chara’s bright red soul. Chara gasped arching in the snow with a pained scream their entire body shaking. Slim grit his teeth watching half in horror half in curiosity as  Razz withdrew the syringe full of DT among some the human’s lesser traits. Razz grinned wickedly, emptying the dangerous liquids into the snow, coloring it red, green, blue, yellow, purple- but mostly red, before repeating the process. Again. And again. And Again.

Chara had fallen into silent cries and whimpers, their face in the snow and Razz paused staring down curiously at the soul that had once been bright red. It shuddered and shifted and pulsed weakly. It was now a dull faded brown color, void of the majority of its traits. Slim had seen this before, but only on one of the dead human’s souls. When Slim had still been working at the labs, he and Undyne had been a little too eager to follow Dr. G’s notes and extract DT, turning the yellow soul into a pale gray shell of itself. It had recovered, and Slim was sure Chara’s soul would too, if given enough time.

Razz released the soul letting it float back into the sobbing child’s chest. “Let me go,please, please,” Chara whimpered softly and Razz scoffed.

“Let’s see you reload now,” Razz growled, slowly walking towards the pinned child. "Because I guarantee I have more determination than you do right now." Razz said summoning a long spear like bone attack raising his high above his head, aiming it at the child’s chest. Chara closed their eyes waiting for the killing blow.

“I’m sorry Sans. I’m sorry, i’m sorry, _I’m sorry_ ,” Chara whispered shuddering. Razz froze, the spear shaking in his firm grip. Slim frowned, his brother was hesitating.

“You!” Razz snarled his voice cracking.The spear shattered to blue dust in Razz’s hands and he kicked the small child hard, drawing out a pained cry. “Why! Why are you doing this!? Why do you keep on doing this,  _ what do you want? _ ” Razz kicked the human again earning another cry.

“I remember being your friend! I remember being on the surface!  _ Multiple times. _ And we just end up back,” Razz kicked the human, “down,” another kick, “here!”  

Chara sobbed loudly, small ‘I’m sorries’ escaping. Slim shifted in the snow his hands clenching at his sides. His brother wasn’t going to kill Chara, Slim realized. Perhaps he just couldn’t bring himself to. Which was a pity, because Razz’s plan, if done correctly, would work. The human could be stopped, _for good._ Razz sunk to his knees his shoulder’s shaking, sobs wracking through his body.

“Why? Why can’t I...” Razz demanded softly more sobs escaping. Slim’s soul ached. His brother couldn’t kill Chara. But Slim could.

Slim inhaled sharply and summoned a blaster, his eyelights misting orange. Chara was innocent. Just a child. Forced by some demon to do its bidding, controlling them like a puppet as the demon had done to Slim. Slim breathed out.

His brother was a good person. His brother couldn’t kill a child, even this one, even the one he believed had willingly killed him over and over. His brother was a good person.  _ He. was. Not. _

Razz turned at the sound of Slim’s blaster, his sockets going wide and he cringed, before crawling backwards in the snow in fear. Slim’s soul panged sorrowfully. His brother was afraid of him. Afraid he was going to kill him again.  **_He should be afraid._ ** Slim was the awfullest kind of monster.

Slim’s eyelights shifted to a strange golden color, mirroring the colors of the judgement hall, and the blaster released its attack aimed straight at Chara. Instead of a white beam of magical energy, a golden one shot out obliterating the small human child in an instant.

Slim breathed in, his LOVE increased, power surging through his bones. Nothing he hadn’t felt before. But somehow, this LOVE gain was  _ different _ . It was the first time, he, the judge, had killed the human when they had been peaceful. The first time he had killed Chara when they had no LOVE. Slim felt different somehow and his hands of all things ached. Slim stared down at them curiously, to see that his phalanges had somehow shifted, they were longer and ended in sharp points, like claws.

Slim gasped in surprise looking over himself for more changes. Was. . . was he taller? His bones all seemed a little  _ sharper _ , and his teeth, they ended in jagged points. What in Toriel’s name was going on!?

Razz stared at the charred remains of the human, than the faded brown soul that hovered above their body. Razz reached for it.

“Don’t touch it!” Slim snarled his voice colder than he meant it to be. Razz froze, staring at him with wide sockets. “Turn it blue.” Slim said softly. Razz frowned but turned the small soul blue pulling it closer to him, eyeing Slim in suspicion.

“I think it worked. It’s not reloading,” Razz said softly after a long moment of silence and a strangled half cry half chuckle escaping him.

“It will recover,” Slim said and Razz scowled.

“What!? How?” Razz demanded.

“Human souls are damn near invincible, but, I have an idea,” Slim said and he hesitated only for a moment before grabbing his brother’s arm, teleporting them both to Hotland, before the CORE.

“DON’T YOU TOUCH ME!” Razz snarled shoving Slim away hard, his eyelights shrinking to tiny pin pricks. “How dare you,  _ how dare you! _ ” Razz spat, the soul still in his blue gravitational grasp hovering next to him.

“I didn’t mean…” Slim said and he sighed. “I just wanted to get us here  _ faster _ . We need to destroy the soul,” Slim said in frustration.

“That’s impossible,” Razz huffed scowling at Slim.

“No, it’s not. Throw it into the CORE,” Slim growled out. Razz froze and he paused staring down at the lava and twisting metal machinery below.

“What? But this is the last soul we need to break the barrier,” Razz said in disbelief.

“And if we use it to break the barrier, it will recover and  _ reset _ . I worked with souls, bro, I know this stuff-” Slim was cut off as Razz’s fist slammed into his unsuspecting face.

Slim blinked in shock and stared down at his little brother as pain laced through his skull. The lacerations on his cheekbones twinged in pain and his injured eye socket watered. “That’s not how you address me! Not anymore!” Razz snarled a crazed look in his eyelights. Slim scowled anger rushing through him and he gripped his brother, hard by the blue bandana always at his throat, lifting the smaller skeleton into the air.

“Alright,  _ M’lord. _ I worked for years with Dr. Undyne and the human souls, so I think I know what I’m fucking talking about.” Slim growled.

“PUT ME DOWN!” Razz screamed kicking his steel toed boots into Slim’s rib cage and Slim cried out in pain dropping his brother to the ground. “You pathetic mutt how dare you!” Razz snarled and his fist slammed into Slim’s middle, causing Slim to fall back on his tailbone with a pained hiss.

“Sans, stop it!” Slim yelled and Razz punched him in the mandible, causing him to fall onto his spine. Razz hit him again and again, his strong fists crunching against bone, mainly Slim’s face. Anger pulsed through Slim’s bones,  _ rage _ , and power. Power unlocked from the LOVE and EXP coursing through him and Slim flexed his hands. His brother had likely permanently damaged his eyesight, had whipped him like a dog, and was now beating the shit out of him. Slim had had enough. Claws extended he swung his hand down, his new claws raking down the left side of his brother’s face. The smaller skeleton fell back with a scream covering his left socket as marrow seeped through the cracks of Razz’s fingers.  _ There.  _ **_They were even_ ** _. _ His brother had half blinded him, and he had returned the favor. Slim flicked specks of marrow off the sharpened claws of his right hand.

The anger and rage in Slim’s soul died and Slim covered his mouth in horror. What had he just done!? He had just  _ maimed _ his little brother.

“Fuck! Sans, I’m so sorry!” Slim gasped running to his brother’s side.

“GET AWAY FROM ME!” Razz shrieked turning Slim’s soul blue and he slammed Slim against the nearest cavern wall hard. Slim groaned from the impact. Razz slowly lowered his hand, showing three deep gouges had marked him, from above and below his left socket, leaking marrow. 

“I’m sorry,” Slim whispered his soul sinking. How could he have done that!? How could he have hurt his brother!? What was  _ wrong _ with him!?

“Oh, you’re going to be.” Razz growled, glacial eyelights glinting dangerously. Razz scowled at the human soul, still blue, and launched it into the air and he released it. Both brothers watched as it fell into the CORE, the lava splattering from its impact. Slim breathed out slowly. There was no way the soul would survive that. The CORE was too hot, too destructive, fields of mercury, gamma waves, and the intense heat of the lava itself. 

Slim laughed in disbelief. It was over, wasn’t it? The human was dead. Permanently dead. They were never going to come back. It had only seemed to cost the underground it’s very soul. Razz sighed staring into the lava before gritting his teeth turning to glare daggers at Slim walking towards him. Slim swallowed hard. He had the feeling he was going to be paying for his sins tenfold. But, after all, he deserved no less.

*******

**Present day**

Stretch

Stretch listened in silence to Slim’s story, trying to ignore the nausea building and building in his soul. 

“It was about a month or so before the rest of the underground started to believe M’lord. That there would be no more resets. That the human had been taken care of once and for all,” Slim said, frowning at his bottle of barbecue sauce which had run empty.

Blue shuddered, looking sad, his baby blue eyelights darting around anxiously. Stretch squeezed his brother’s shoulder gently. 

“The queen called for peace, putting an end to the underground massacres. If only it had been that easy. Monsters had began counting on the resets. It didn’t matter if their mother or brother or cousin died, they’d see them next reset. It didn’t matter if they killed someone, it’d reset. But once we stopped the resets, then they had to live with the crimes they had committed, the injuries whether physical or mental they had sustained. For example my Muffet is missing an arm. It never reset,” Slim said with a sigh frowning at the table.

“Here we were, a group of monsters who had turned on each other, killed each other with no consequences and suddenly consequences were back. Life mattered again. Death mattered again, and we now all had permanent LOVE and loss that wouldn’t be reset,” Slim tossed the empty bottle in the trash can behind him and drummed his fingers against the table. Stretch had never really paid much attention, but Slim's fingertips were indeed sharp, like claws.

“The queen, of course, had long gone mad before the massacres even ended. Queen Toriel rules my underground with an iron fist. Her harsh laws were made to try and keep the peace, but all it does is divide monsters and form rebellions and it inspired the resistance movement. Torel's actions spurred monsters to war against monsters, the very thing she should be trying to avoid.  It’s hard for monsters with high LOVE to be peaceful and she just-”Slim paused his eyelights darting around as if looking for someone. “The queen makes it worse. She’s unbelievably cruel and hordes needed resources like food. She makes the underground a literal living hell. Instead of letting the people deal with their sins and try to heal, she encourages the violence to keep on going,” Slim sighed anger clear in his voice.

“A-Alphys doesn’t try to stop her?” Blue asked sadly shifting from foot to foot with nervous energy. “Alphys follows her cruel laws?”

“When the mad queen put her foot down she promoted M’lord to captain of the guard, and ordered him to execute Alphys. Toriel blamed Alphys for all the monster fighting, after all, Alphys was the first monster to kill another monster at the start of it all.” Slim sighed. Blue froze his blue eyelights stuttering out. Stretch winced and pulled his brother against him, in a backwards hug.

“I don’t know why, but, M’lord is zealously loyal to the queen. Alphys barely escaped her execution and is leading the resistance movement. M’lord follows the queen's cruel orders without question, whether its executing her enemies or meting out one of the queen's cruel punishment to some poor schmuck who had to choose between feeding his family or paying her ridiculously high taxes,” Slim sighed covering his face with his palms.

“I’m sorry man,” Stretch said softly, his soul aching. Slim’s world was literally hell. Slim laughed without humor.

“But this timeline. . .no one but you remembers so far,” Slim said looking at Stretch.

“World,” Stretch corrected quickly.

“So if M’lord and I get rid of your human once and for all, your world won't end up like mine.” Stretch said firmly, longing clear in his eyelights. Stretch nodded slowly.

Right. If he let Razz kill a child he now knew was completely innocent, his world would be saved. All the monsters would live happily, free from the knowledge of resets, and the horror of living in a world where monsters killed each other without consequence. This world could be saved, at the cost of one innocent child’s life.

Stretch was just as much the vile monster Slim was for agreeing to this. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NOTE: I know it wasn't made very clear, but Slim was not possessed or influenced by Frisk in anyway when he attacked Razz giving him his scar. That was all Slim, hyped up on LOVE.
> 
> As for why Slim's features changed, (claws and sharp teeth) it should be addressed next chapter :) 
> 
> Whelp, That should about wrap up the [Swapfell](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TIO4IHLNZw) backstory! (more or less)


	15. Darker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An old friend comes to say hello :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry that this is like . . . 3 months late. I fell behind in ALL my stories due to a heavy work and school load! But hey! It's summer break now! THINGS ARE LOOKING UP!
> 
> Also, this chapter wouldn't be here without the aid of the amazing Zionkilse, seriously, they forced me to write ;) And helped write the dang chapter itself!
> 
> THANK YOU ZION.

***  
RAZZ

The Ashtray better be fucking grateful, The malicious Sans didn't go out of his way to help people like this! Razz scowled at the River person half tempted to throw them off their own boat as he did this morning so he could make this boat go faster himself.

Not that Razz was doing this to help either dumb or dumber. Razz just liked killing. And that was his only reason for helping, the river person must have picked up his intent because the boat was moving faster now. Good, he didn't have time to waste on a scenic boat ride.

Razz shoved the river person into the water when they reached Hotlands anyway, it made him feel a _little_ better. He stepped onto the sizzling ground, making his way to the lab, beating his fist against the door. "Fish bitch! I command you to open this door!"

The door opened after a moment of silence and Undyne wrang her hands nervously. "U-uh I thought Papyrus didn't sant y-you out alone?" Undyne asked anxiously.  
  
"I couldn't give a fuck what that cancer stick wants." Razz huffed scowling up at the fish doctor.

"O-oh well, well what d-did you need?" Undyne stammered wringing her hands, cowering before the much smaller monster.

"One of your soul syringes." Razz said shortly, eyeing her as if she were a spec beneath his boots.

"O-one of my what?!" Undyne squeaked at his demand shaking her head and wringing her hands harder looking anywhere by at the small skeleton. "I-I don't think, that, I can't do that!"

"You know your a lot like my Undyne, before our world went to shit. You were asking about my world earlier, maybe I should tell you what happened to her." Razz cooed sweetly.  
  
"You see she’s absolutely insane~. With those pesky little resets, well, for a few of them the families of those abominations in your lab came to teach you a lesson for what you did to them. I heard you were tortured! Heard you were dissected. Hell I heard they took you apart reset after reset, violated you and your soul~" Razz continued in the same sweet voice.

"If you don't give me what I want, what do you say? I'll torture you, for old times sake. You have all these lovely scalpels and saws...."

Undyne paled taking a few stumbling steps backwards, golden eyes wide as that sickly sweet tone sent ice rushing though her veins. She took a few more steps backwards, missing a step and falling onto her ads with a yelp.  
  
"N-no! Ple-please, I, I, okay!" Undyne choked out scrambling backwards further away from the demented skeleton monster.

"I knew you'd see things my way." Razz said with a wide grin and he watched as Undyne scrambled to get him what he asked for.

"I-I'll b-b-be right back!" Undyne called as she quickly righted herself and ran off into the lab to get Razz what he wanted.

Razz huffed impatiently waiting for rhw royal scientist. He was still annoyed that they knew next to nothing about this Gaster asshole or why the hell he kept attacking them. Yet here he was, instead of trying to find said drippy fucker, trying to assist Blue and ashtray with their reset issue. What did he care for? He didn't! Who cared if this world ended up like his!?

Undyne came back with the requested syringe, nearly falling over herself in her rush to hand it over and get this mini physco out of her lab. Far far away from her and her lab, hopefully he'd never come back.  
  
"H-here you a-are that's a-all you needed r-r-right?"

Undyne all but shoved the syringe into Razz's hands, back away from him so she wasn't within arms reach. Not that it would save her from blue magic if he so chose to use it.

Razz rolled his eyelights leaving the lab and its trembling doctor. Undyne stammered a good bye and would slam the door shut behind him once he was clear.

***

BLUE

 

Blue frowned. He had gone to do laundry and when he came back both Slim and Stretch were giggling to each other. Which was weird. He had a sneaking suspicion that certain Papyruses had spiked their condiments.Sighing he pinched his nasal bridge in frustration, pinning the laundry basket to his hip with his free hand. What was he going to do with them now? Razz wasn't going to like this either. His brother had a horrible drinking habit and it seemed Slim matched this.

"H-hey! We should, get to work, so we can get you and pocket Edgelord home." Stretch told Slim swaying slightly in his seat, bottle of honey grasped between his hands.

"Papy I don't think that's a good idea right now! And Razz has so many tallies already!" Blue reminded his brother sliding the basket onto the table with a frown.

"But bro....he's never going to leave if you keep doing that!" Stretch whined squeezing his bottle of honey, causing it to overflow on to his hands. "Oops..." He frowned down at the mess before bringing his hands up and licking the honey off. "Besid- besides its not my fault if that psychopath gets mad for no reason." Stretch slurred. Blue sighed. Definitely spiked honey.

"But if we give in to him then he's never going to learn!" Blue huffed hands resting at his hips. Stretch whined,  taking another swig of honey, squeezing too hard and a burst of honey shot him in the face.

Blue shook his head. His brother was so uncoordinated when he drank. Slim snickered at Stretch's predicament. "Bro im pretty sure demons aren't capable of learning!" Stretch huffed licking and wiping the honey off, again. _So disgusting_. Blue gave a long suffering sigh.

"He's not a demon Papy! He's gotten better!" Blue insisted, okay maybe he hadn't. He'd started hurting his brother, threw the river person into the river, but he let Blue hug him! That had to count for something, right?

“He is not! He tried to kill us this morning!” Stretch huffed.

“That wasn’t his fault and you know it!” Blue said gesturing wildly. Stretch grumbled under his breath looking down at his now half empty honey bottle before taking another swig of it, downing half of it.  
  
“Come on, let’s go get to work on the machine? Please bro?” Stretch repeated standing up with a very slight wobble. “You coming?” He asked glancing over at Slim.

“Wait, what?” Demanded Slim staring at his double in surprise. Blue raised a brow bone at his brother. This could only end badly.

“Don’t you want to go home?” Stretch asked over his shoulder.

“Not really...I like it here.” Slim mumbled casting his gaze to the floor. Blue smiled sadly at Slim and Stretch made a face.

“Okay, well you can stay, but Razz has to go. So come help me!”

“Papy!” Blue scolded. “Be nice!”

“Eh, why not. I haven’t tinkered in awhile.” Slim sighed standing up.

“But you’ve both been drinking! That’s not a good idea!” Blue scolded frowning at both Papyruses.

“Aw come on, bro.” Stretch rolled his eyelights. “It’ll be fine! Right Slim?”

“I wonder if we could program it to make a micro black hole?” Slim pondered.

“What?  No! we need it to do dimensional travel!” Stretch groaned.

“You mean time travel," SLim said shaking his skull. "But there wont be any traveling with blackholes. Oh! Wormholes would work!” Slim said, golden eyelights shining.

“Maybe…” Stretch said with a grin.

“This is a _really_ bad idea.” Blue groaned.

“Gonna do it anyways.” Stretch hummed heading down to the basement ignoring his brother’s warnings.

Slim snickered and shrugged at Blue before following Stretch to the basement. Blue sighed loudly at the both of them before following after them, there was no way he was going to leave them unsupervised.

“I’m going to stay down here and watch so you two don’t hurt yourselves, be careful please, Papy?”

“Always bro,” Stretch said grabbing two electrical wires. Slim grabbed them out of his hand, shaking his head. Blue narrowed his sockets at his brother, looking unimpressed.

“The fuck did you do to this machine?” Slim demanded, pulling the sheet off of a twisted metal hunk, parts of it melted, others corroded and rusted.

“...I might have shot it with a blaster and beaten it with a bone attack?” Stretch mumbled. Slim sighed loudly, shaking his head. “Okay...there’s no fixing this. We need to start from scratch. Do you have the blueprints?”

“Under the honey.”

“...What?” Slim demanded.

Stretch hummed, opening a cabinet, pulling out a stained and sticky honey pot, along with a set of sticky blueprints. Slim groaned, loudly. Slim looked through the blueprints, making some notes.

“I need these.” Slim said handing Stretch a list of parts. Stretch read through the parts and hummed, opening a closet door. Blue sighed as a mountain of scrap metal spilled out of the closet and onto Stretch. Stretch groaned. Slim snickered, before sifting through the mess for the parts he needed.

Slim opened his toolbox, pulling out honey slathered tools. Slim growled glaring over at Stretch. “Why!?”

“Huh?” Stretch blinked at the other.

“Really!? Okay, effective immediately honey is banned from this room.” Slim grumbled.

“W-well so is BBQ Sauce!” Stretch huffed. Slim was acting very strange. Much less shy and timid, more outspoken, like he had been when Stretch had first met him. Granted Slim had been on persistence. Maybe alcohol caused a similar attitude adjustment? Blue pondered watching them.

“Fuck that.” Slim snorted and as if to make his point he pulled out his bottle of spiked BBQ sauce and took a swig.

“I still don’t think this is a good idea, and Razz still has all those tallies.” Blue huffed taking a seat on a nearby chair.

“Bro. If we go by the tally system, it’ll be a thousand years before we get this machine fixed.” Stretch groaned. “You don’t understand how much I need Razz t obe not in our house. He's scary. I’m afraid to _sleep_ with him in the house!”

“Don’t exaggerate, you've been sleeping just fine!” Blue rolled his eyelights.

“Speaking of the tiny terror, he’s been gone awhile. Do you think he found some orphans to light on fire?” Stretch frowned looking concerned.

“Papy! He wouldn’t do that!” Blue scolded crossing his arms.

“Bro! He’s insane!” Stretch grumbled. Slim growled low in his throat at Stretch.

“He’s not insane! You can’t blame him for what happened to him!” Blue retorted heatedly, giving his brother a stern look.

Stretch deflated some, looking somewhat ashamed. “I…” Stretch sighed. He was still trying to wrap his skull around the fact that Razz had used to be a nice person. Had used to be. . . _just like Blue._ Stretch shuddered. He just couldn’t picture it. He didn’t want to entertain the idea that Blue could end up like Razz. . . that’s why he let Razz leave in the house in the first place, to stop Chara, to stop their world from ending up like Razz and Slim’s.

“You got a saw?” Slim hummed holding up a piece of scrap metal.

“Should,” Stretch said, opening one of the cabinets and pulling out a honey slathered saw making Slim sigh loudly.

“Seriously!?” Slim demanded. Blue shook his head watching as the two drunken Papyruses worked, or rather, as Slim worked, quite well, and Stretch messed things up.

“Go sit down over there!” Slim snapped at Slim after about a half an hour pointing to the chair next to Blue. Stretch literally whined at Slim, having soldered two wrenches together instead of the sheets of metal Slim had given him to work with.

“But-” Stretch began to protest.

“No, you're just making it worse!” Slim sighed at Stretch, he felt bad but the other monster wasn't helping in the least. It was easier if he did the work himself. Blue frowned at Slim, usually he was falling all over himself but it seemed like he was more coordinated now than he ever had been.

Stretch frowned watching Slim and he huffed crossing his arms before glancing at his phone. “...Razzledazzle should be back by now, right? But he hasn't come down here to yell at us and I haven't heard his unholy screeching.”

“Yeah...it's been over an hour since he left, it doesn't take that long to go to Undyne's…” Blue murmured frowning, where could he have gone off to? Razz wasn't one to mess around and wanted to go home as soon as possible, so he should have been back by now, right?

“He’s murdered someone, I just know it.” Stretch sighed loudly.

“Papy! No he didn’t!” Blue huffed crossing his arms. “Why are you always so mean to him?”

“Because he’s the devil?” Stretch offered.

Slim snorted, sawing through a piece of metal, puttin it in it one of the three piles that surrounded him.  “Hell Slim, don’t think I’ve ever heard you laugh at Razz's expense before.” Stretch said with a grin. “Should do it more often.”

Slim’s cheekbones dusted gold and he mumbled with a scoff, before dropping a piece of scrap metal in a pile. “It isn’t like M’lord to take his time. Maybe we should look for him?” Slim mumbled.

“Are you worried Slim?” Blue asked with a frown. It _was_ unlike the uptight little captain.

“A little.” Slim admitted. “He's not the type of person to stop and smell the flowers you know?"

“He could be hurting someone, we should go look,” Stretch agreed standing up and stumbling slightly.

“Papy! He’s not hurting anyone!” Blue grumbled. At least, he probably wasn’t hurting anyone.

“Let’s get going?” Slim asked nervously, wringing his hands together. Blue frowned he seemed really worried. Then again Blue and Razz had been attacked by that goopy Gaster guy not very long ago. Blue nodded firmly, they should get going.

***

RAZZ

  
“ **Un** **C** o ~~ **m** **Fo**~~ ** _ ~~r~~ ta_** _b_ _l_ e?”

“gO ~~ ** _O_** _D_~~.”

Razz growled furiously, his skull was pounding. He was strapped to a metallic medical table with leather restraints.

“I’m going to shove a bone sword into your fucking eye socket you goopy motherfucker!” Razz snarled.

“ **Yo** ** _U_ ** _ar_ ** _E_ ** _H_ ** _ArD_ ** **ly I** ** _n A P O_** ~~ _sIT_ ** _i_**~~ ** ~~o~~ n To ** **M** ** _ak_ ** **_e T_** ** _hRE_** _a_ ** _t_** **s S** ** _F_** ** _S_ ** _-4_.”

Razz snarled furiously. He had been halfway back to the damn house when he’d been attacked from behind by Gaster. His black goopy tendrils had wrapped around him  and had dragged Razz kicking and screaming through the snow, and into a black _tear_ in the cave. Almost like a hole or entrance but moving, shimmering and so very dark.

Gaster had taken Razz through it, and they had somehow ended up here in the labs. Gaster hummed thoughtfully, his left socket drooping slightly as he melting across the floor over to Razz and he frowned.

Razz grimaced at him, making a disgusted face. “Release me this instant and I’ll make your death quick instead of slow.”

 **“A** ** _M_** ** _us_** **iN** _g_. _N_ o **W I L** O ** _o_** ** _K_** _E_ ** _D EV_** _er_ ** _YW h ~~e~~_** **RE FoR y ~~oU~~** ~~ ** _R BL_ ** **AstE** **r**~~ a ~~ ** _nD C_** ** _o_**~~ ** _ ~~U~~ l_ ** D _N_ ** _oT Fi_ ** **N** ** _d_ ** **_It. I D_** ** _i_** D Fi **n** **D U** **S** **S** **_-4’s_ ** **_hO_ ** w ** _e_** **V e**R.”

Gaster gestured to the floating dragonic skull behind him. It had wide blue eyelights, and lacked the fangs that Slim’s blasters seemed to have.

Razz glared at the blaster then at Gaster. “Guess you didn’t look hard enough.” Razz huffed. Razz thought blasters were a Papyrus thing and he had thought they were something they were born with. Now he wasn’t so sure.

“ **I** ** _T’_** ** _s OKa_ ** y **SI** n _C_ ** _E I CO u_** ** _LD N_ ** ’t fiN ** _d YOu_  ** ** _’_ ** **S** i **T** O **o** ** _K T He LI ~~be~~_** ~~ ** _r_**~~ ** ~~T~~ Y** O ** _f sEC_** ** _U r_** _i_ NG **A** **_sUBs_** ~~ ** _tit_ **~~ **uT** e. I h _a_ ** _V_** ** _E nO_ ** **ID** ** _e_** _a Ho_ ** _W_ ** **_Y_** ** _O_** **u w** ** _iLl REa_** _C_ **T** . I a ** _M_ ** _E_ ** _aGE_ ** **r t** ** _O s_** ** _EE Wh_** **A** T _H_ ** _A_** ** _pPEN_ ** S.”

Razz snarled gritting his teeth. A floating like skull appeared next to Gaster, it’s cranium cracked, and one red glowing eye. “Keep that the fuck away from me!” Razz snarled at it.

“ ~~ **N**~~ ** ~~O~~ w** **,** _n_ **O** ** _W. T_** ~~ _H_~~ ** _ ~~i~~ s w_** ** _iL_** _L_ ** _O_** ** _nL_** ** _y h_** **u** **Rt** **a** ~~**_L_** ** _O_**~~ T.” Gaster cooed almost sweetly. The blaster came closer still, rust colored tendrils leaving the foreign blaster and lapping at Razz’s restrained ulna. Razz hissed, the touch like acid against his bones.

“Stop!” Razz snarled, icey eyelights turning magenta. “I command you to stop right now!”

More rusted tendrils attached to Razz’s arm and he screamed eyelights shrinking in pain. Razz’s right eyelight went out, his left socket engulfing in magenta flame. A blaster blipped into existence at Razz’s side with three deep gouges over it’s left eye, matching Razz’s scar. It’s red-violet eyelights bore into the other foreign blaster’s eyelights before Razz’s blaster’s maw opened wide, raw magic gathering with a high pitched noise. The foreign blaster made a noise as if snarling at the opposing blaster, before the beam released, shattering the other blaster to pieces, bone splinters exploding around the small room, several shards of bone slicing through Gaster who’s ivory face melted some.

 **“FAs** ** _Ci_** _nat_ ** _In_ ** **G. iT S** ~~ ** _E_** **Em** ** _s y_ ** ~~**~~O~~ U Alr** **E** ** _A d_** ** _y hA_** _Ve_ a B **L** ~~ ** _aS_ ** ~~**~~T~~ e** **r.** ”

Gaster remarked making a soft hum of approval. Razz snarled furiously at him.

How dare he capture him like this!? How dare he try to attach that _thing_ to him? What the fuck was that thing that matched Razz’s scars? Razz had a blaster like the Mutt and Ashtray? Since when!? How?

“ **We** ** _L_** _l_ _th_ ** _E_** **N** **. i’l** L PL _a_ ** _y W_** ~~ ** _It_**~~ _ ~~h~~ _ _Y_ ** _O_** **u S** **o** ** _M_** _E m_ ** _O_ ** R **e la** ~~ **TE** ~~**r** **_S_ ** **_F_ ** _S-4_ _. I N_ ** _e_** ~~ **E** **D tO T** **eT**~~ ** _H_** ** _er U_ ** **_S_ ** _S_ **_-4_ ** **’** S **BL** ** _a_** ** _s TE_ **R.” Gaster hummed and Razz watched in horror as Gaster began meling into himself. His height shrank, his form boiling and bubbling folding in on itself, the black suit turning into ivory armor and blue shoulderpads, the ivory bone solidifying, scars shifting changing, rearranging.

Razz swallowed hard as the previous royal scientist changed into _Razz_ _._ He looked identical to him.  Every scar, every chip of bone, the same outfit down to the very last detail.

“ **W** **_Is_ ** H me luck.” Gaster said his distorted voice shifting, mimicking Razz’s perfectly. Razz stared in horrified disbelief. The crazy dripping monstrosity could change shape. And had changed shape right into him.  

***

Stretch

 

“Well there’s no trail of dust, blood, or tears, so I guess Razzilicious has been behaving,” Stretch hummed, as he walked with Blue and Slim through waterfall. Stretch had texted Undyne, who had said that Razz left an hour ago. Razz definitely should have been home by now, causing both Blue and Slim to worry.

Stretch wasn’t exactly concerned for Razz’s safety. He was more concerned for others. Razz could hold his own. Razz also had a bad temper and had blackouts. Razz could be terrorizing local waterfall monsters and if so, Stretch needed to put a stop to it before Alphys dragged him to the queen’s dungeons.

Then again, maybe the dungeons would do Razz good? Stretch sighed wistfully imagining it and he stumbled slightly nearly tripping over a rock. It’d be so much easier to traverse through waterfall if he wasn’t drunk.

Slim, who had drank even more then Stretch had, seemed to have no trouble with his coordination.

“Do you think that reepy Gaster thing got him?” Blue asked softly, twisting his hands together gloves catching and making slight noises as they rubbed together. Stretch shuddered at the mention of the scientist.

“No… I don’t think so. He hasn’t shown up in awhile. He’s just terrorizing someone, I’m sure.” Stretch assured.

“M’lord doesn't terrorize people.” Slim sighed with frustration. “He just. . .” Slim fell silent.

“He just doesn’t know how to deal with people.” Blue supplied. “You know what he went through Papy, could you try to be nice?”

Stretch sighed and glanced away from Blue. Yeah, he knew what Razz went through and it sounded like _hell._ Even worse, it sounded like it could happen here. He couldn’t imagine Blue ever becoming like Razz, but, the way Slim and Razz had explained things, Razz used to be just like Blue. Stretch grit his teeth, it unnerved him.

“M’lord?” Slim called. Stretch looked up to see Razz walking confidently towards them. Stretch huffed.

“Where the heck have you been pocket sized Edgelord?” Stretch scoffed. “Get lost?”

“No. I found something.” Razz said his eyelights flickering from Blue to Stretch to Slim. “You need to come see. Quick.” Razz said firmly.

Stretch raised a brow bone. Was he about to see the dusty remains of a massacre? He wouldn’t put it past Razzledazzle.

“We were worried! Is everything alright?” Blue asked in concern. Slim shoved his hands in his pockets, looking worried slowly following Razz’s lead. They followed Razz through a few caverns, Razz oddly silent and less indignmant than usual.

“What do you wanna show us, anyway?” Stretch asked with a frown.

“It’s not much further.” Razz answered vaguely.

As they rounded a bend, Stretch stopped and frowned. In the cavern wall before them a strange phenomenon for lack of a better word stood. It was a tear in the wall of the cave. Or rather a tear in the universe. Darkness bled out from the wide hole, portal, hellmouth, wall sphincter, whatever the hell it was.

“What is it? It looks almost what Gaster went through when he escaped from us the last time.” Blue said with a frown.

“This is bad.” Slim said with a frown taking a step back.

“Oh. It’s very B **_A_ ** **d** **.** ” Razz said his voice distorting as Blue, Stretch, and Slim’s souls turned a dark blue before all three were thrown through said wall sphincter.

Stretch groaned his skull slamming against a concrete floor. Blue squeaked landing next to him and Slim cried out falling on top of them. Razz, or rather his look alike, landed on his feet before them his form beginning to drip and melt. Slim made a distressed sound and Stretch shuddered, his soul thundering against his rib cage.

The figure grew taller, holes appearing in either palm, A scar ran down from the figure’s right socket and another scar ran from the forehead to the left socket. Stretch’s breathing quickened his soul twisting in fear, Gaster.

Now was a really bad time to have a panic attack. He needed to stay calm. He needed to - to move, or do something, anything. But the blue hold on his soul held firmly and he was stuck on the floor next to Blue and beneath Slim. Stretch choked for air, his soul pounding and he looked around the room for something, anything to focus on, distract him from the terror trying to consume him.

The real Razz was before them, tied to a medical table craning his neck some to stare down at them.

“You are seriously, the worst rescue party, ever.” Razz sighed loudly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No one forgot about good old [G](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68wk6m05ojw), right!? >:D
> 
> Razz is the least grateful damsel in distress ever.


	16. Dinner Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gaster invites the gang to dinner. ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took SOOOOOOOO long! I should be updating much faster now that my life has settled down! (If you call moving and starting a new job and school settling down, I do!). Also don't be too frightened by that chapter 16/17, there's gonna be a sequel.
> 
> Major thanks to Zionkilse, my official co-writer. This fic and the upcoming sequel would never get done without them xD. <3

 ***

Stretch

 Before Stretch could utter a single word Blue lurched forward, blue gravity magic dragging him and he was slammed against a metal medical table next to the one that held Razz. Gaster hummed looking him over, hands grasping the straps that he tightened painfully around each limb.

 “ **Y _Ou FOuR_** _W_ O **nT Be E _Sca PIn_** _G L **iK**_ **e T He oT _HeR F Ou_** _R_.” Gaster announced matter of factly. Stretch had no idea what _that_ meant or who the other four might be, he was too concerned with his baby brother being strapped against a medical table to care.

 “Let him go! Don’t hurt him!” Stretch snarled as he tried to summon his blasters, but nothing happened. Stretch’s white eyelights shrank with fear and realization, _he couldn’t summon his magic._

 “ _O **H dO**_ **N’t B** _OTh **ER US** P-_7\. **m** Y B **L _u_** ** _E aT_** _TA_ cK M ** _Ak_** ** _E S Y ~~O~~_ ~~u~~ r M _A_** _gic Us **ELE**_ **Ss**.”

 Stretch winced as his soul pulsed with barely restrained terror. He had to do something, anything, his brother needed him! He had to help Blue! He wouldn’t let Gaster hurt him, _not again._

  _“Oh P-7 stop that infernal racket before I sew that mandible shut. S-4’s bones are probably sturdy enough to handle the saw. If S-4 dusts I can just make another one.”_

 Stretch choked trying to push back the awful memory, one of countless involving the horrible experiments Gaster had done to them as children. His soul raced as his breath quickened, gritting his teeth trying to swallow down the terror. Rising panic threatening to consume him. Stretch tried to focus on something, anything, to ground him. Gaster was calling him USP-7 not P-7. _Why?_

 On closer inspection, not that Stretch wanted to take a look at their tormenter, Gaster’s eyelights were off, they didn’t look like he remembered. _And Stretch remembered very well his face._

 Hadn’t Gaster had one yellow and one purple eyelight, no, he _knew_ Gaster did. Those eyelights haunted him in his worst nightmares. The half melted mess of Gaster before him had misshapen purple eyelights.

 Slim shuddered next to Stretch, pinned by Gaster’s blue magic. His golden eyelights stuttering, seeming to be lost to his own panic. Stretch watched helplessly as Gaster tapped his finger tips together looking Blue over, hovering over him like a creature out of a fever dream. He was _dripping_ onto the floor his socket slowly sinking down his face to his cheekbone.

 “Y-you don’t have to do this!” Blue said with a frown staring up at Gaster, putting on a brave face. “I don’t, I don’t know why you’re doing this, but you don’t _have_ to! This is wrong, and I know there’s a good person deep down inside of you!” Blue tried to say firmly, stammering a few times in his terror.

 “I suppose I might have a few good people inside of me, and I’m about to add a few more.” Gaster mused tapping his chin with a single phalange, a manic grin slowly spreading across his melting face as a dripping oily tongue slipped from his mouth.

 Blue’s sockets widened in shocked horror while Stretch blanched. That didn’t sound good at all, was Gaster going to _eat_ his brother!? Gaster turned petting the blaster hovering next to him. Stretch hadn’t paid it much attention until now. The giant floating skull had baby blue eyelights that matched Blue’s, with blunt flat teeth. It floated forward towards Stretch and his brother all but roaring at him, beyond furious.

Stretch remembered from childhood recieving his own blaster and it had _not_ been pleasant. “Leave him alone!” Stretch snarled viciously.

Gaster scoffed, rolling his eyelights in his sunken sockets. “Y **O** u **D** ON **’T** _ **EX ~~PEc~~**_ **T mE tO _EA_ T A ME**a _L HAl_ f FINi **Shed** Do YOu? **~~He nee~~** **ds** _seasoning._ I **NEEd tO t** eTHEr THe **BLAstER** **,** ** _MAKe hI_ M WHo _le_**.”

Stretch swallowed hard at this, Gaster really _was_ planning on eating his brother. _What the actual hell!?_ Stretch growled like a beast, trying to summon his blaster, his magic, a bone construct, _anything_ , but the blue hold on his soul snuffed out his attempts as he made them.

Slim appeared to be having the same issue now that he’d recovered himself. His sockets were narrowed at Gaster, eyelights misting gold but no magic came from Stretch’s duplicate. At least Slim seemed less panicked now, and was in the moment. But they were both trapped, magicless and helpless as they looked on. Stretch glanced at Razz who was watching Gaster silently, craning his neck from the table he was strapped to watching everything with a cold and calculating look.

Stretch frowned at this, not only was Razz’s soul in Gaster’s blue hold but Razz was also tied down to the medical table with leather restraints. Was Razz next to receive a blaster? But Razz already _had_ a blaster. Stretch tried to catch Razz’s attention giving him a curious look, but the duplicate of his baby brother never looked his way, watching Gaster with a cold fury Stretch had never seen before. Razz’s anger could be frigid, but usually it was explosive and wild, not silent.

“THiS MAy bE ** ~~ _, UNcoMFo_~~ RTABLE, **USS-4.” Gaster announced sounding pleased about this before the blaster hovered closer still. Hundreds of tiny blue tendrils slithered from the blaster beginning to wrap around Blue’s ulna, suctioning to the bone like tentacles. Blue gasped and squirmed held down by not just the restraints but also Gaster’s blue gravity magic. More tentacles wrapped around Blue’s ulna, the blue hold on Blue’s soul vanished Gaster releasing it.

“TRy NOt _ **To**_ SCReAM **. I H** **A** vE A H **EADac** HE.”

“W-what?” Blue asked and his baby blue eyelights shrank before disappearing entirely, his sockets empty and black. Blue _screamed_ , thrashing against the medical table against the restraints. Stretch grit his teeth his soul felt like it was going to shatter, sockets stinging with tears. He watched helplessly as his brother writhed and screamed in pain, unable to do _anything_ to help him. He never could do anything to help him.

 

***

Blue

  _It hurt. It hurt so much._

 Blue panted harshly, soul twisting sickly in his rib cage. Every part of him felt as if he had been set ablaze, searing. His skull felt like it was going to literally split in two at any moment. There was a pressure behind his sockets and it felt like something was trying to escape out of his skull, increasing as memories he’d forgotten washed over him.

Blue saw himself with a human, a human child. They were making tacos together, making jokes and laughing like old friends.

Blue saw himself with the same human child, telling them he believed in them. That anyone could be a good person if they just tried. Blue’s skull had been lopped from his shoulders with a knife, and Blue had told the child they could do better before crumbling to dust.

This happened once, twice, thrice, he lost track of how many times _._ Like watching an endless loop of misery and bad choices. How many times had he died? How many times had the human betrayed him? Been his friend at one time only to be his murderer the next?  

The pain Blue felt in his soul was so much worse than the physical pain of the blaster. The betrayal he felt from the child was the worst pain he had ever felt. The memories of the _surface_ taunted him too. Beautifully unobtainable, _because they just ended up back here._ The surface, the sun, the ocean, the sky, the grass, all taken away from him, his brother, everyone he cared about. So many times stolen from their hands, draining away so easily like water.

Rage, anger, and betrayal wracked through Blue’s soul and he let out a soft sob as the pain in his bones faded. It wasn’t _fair,_ what Chara had done to them was _terrible, unforgivable._

Other memories came too, lost horrific memories of his childhood. Of Gaster, a different Gaster in the labs. Stern, cruel, with one purple eyelight and one yellow reaching for him through steel bars. The memories came at once overwhelming, blending together. The experiments the scientist had put he and Papy through were the stuff of nightmares. It had been more like torture than tests or experiments.

_“Sit still S-4. If your wriggling corrupts the data for this test I am going to test how much force it takes to pop off both your kneecaps.”_

Blue shuddered at the memories, the cold voice echoing inside his skull.How could he have _forgotten?_ Why had Papy never said _anything_!? Why did Papyrus lie to him and tell him that he hadn’t known Gaster!? That he might have worked for him? _Lies._ They were _test subjects._

Gaster tsked at him, interrupting Blue’s derailing thoughts.

“ALl ThaT **scREAmING.** nO **CONsidERAtiON** FOr oTHerS ** ~~. How ve~~ ry _rude_ USS-4.**” Gaster lectured. A growl escaped Blue as he glared at Gaster and Blue glanced above him. The blaster that had wrapped those blue tethers around his arm was hovering next to him. The blue tethers were gone, though they had left angry red welts in their wake all along his ulna and radius.

“ _ **A H **_WElL _ **,**_ YOu’LL _ **Be**_ QUiET **SOon eno ~~u~~** ~~gh.~~ ” Gaster mused, Blue yelped as his soul once more was engulfed with Gaster’s blue gravity spell. Blue was unable to do anything, for himself or for the others. He was helpless, so very hurt, and _so very angry._

“THIs tiME **, _THeRE WILl_** bE **NO E** SC ~~aPING~~.” Gaster cackled and Blue frowned, having no idea what that meant. He wouldn’t really call the battle with him the day Blue trained with Razz as escaping, if anything Gaster was the one who had escaped.

Gaster grinned, the smile cracking across the width of his face and large, dripping oily black tentacles rose from the disgusting monster, all reaching towards Blue.

“Don’t you touch him!” Stretch snarled. “Razz! Do something!”

“If I could don’t you think I would have!?” Razz demanded, his soul was trapped in the blue hold just like them.

Blue hissed as a black tentacle wrapped around him. It burned, so much worse than the blue tendrils from the blaster had, and he screamed trying to thrash away.

“SHh _ **.**_ It’S ALRiGhT _ **.**_ NOw _ **THAt**_ YO ~~U’re~~ _ **WHoLE, I caN CON SUme YOu. **_JuST LiKE _ **I DId YOur**_ litTLe _ **huMaN.**_ THeiR _ **SOuL**_ wriGGleS _ **AroUNd**_ iN _ **THeRE so NICely,**_ doN’T ** _YOu wANt to JOIn TH Em? Or MaYBe Y_oU WaNT to **jOin **_your_ ~~GaSTeR. I consUMED Him NOt a MONth AGo.~~** WHaT **aN** ANGRy monSTER **HE IS.”** Gaster cooed manicly as Blue screamed, more of Gaster’s black tentacles squeezing around Blue, crushing him in their grasp. Marrow leaked from fractured bones, glittering dust filtering down onto the table.

“Stop! Leave him alone!” Stretch cried out in desperation.

“Take me instead!” Slim hissed and Gaster snorted, amused while Razz balked.

“Shut up, Mutt! Did I _say_ you could offer yourself!? No, I did _not_.” Razz growled.

“ **IM TA kING **YOu ALl _ **. SFS-4**_ yOU aRe NExT ** _THE_ n **THE **P-7’S.** DON’t **woRRy SFP-7** YoU **f _oUr_** WoNt bE ALOnE _ **. I ConSUmeD SWApfELL’s**_ GaSTer _ **YEaRS**_ aND _ **YEaRS**_ agO _ **. He**_ WAs ONe _ **oF THE**_ FIrST soULs THAt _ **sqUIRMed**_ aRO _Und_ INsiDE _ **Me.**_ MAyBE YOu CaN ** _EXplA_ IN TO **hiM wHY **He ENDed** UP **In** tHE CORe **SFP-7? He** IS QUIte **CONfuSED**.”

Slim flinched as if struck. “Let Blue go, you gross fuck! I _won't_ let you hurt him or M’lord!” Slim snarled aggressively, golden eyelights misting despite his inability to use magic attacks and Gaster laughed in amusement.

“ThE dOG ~~ **BArkS.**~~ aNd WHaT ARe _ **YOu**_ GOInG _ **To Do**_ ABouT ** _It_ , _Mutt,_** WAs **It**?” All at once the burning tentacles left Blue and he gave a soft sigh of relief as the intolerable pain left his abused bones leaving a painful pulsing in their wake.

Blue’s bones _ached_ , they were covered in black slime and it _burned_ as if the tentacles had been coated in acid. Small drops of black goo wriggled along his bones, this way and that as if unsure what to do with themselves while the larger pieces followed the tentacles as Gaster left Blue, walking over to Slim. Or rather dripping over. Slim was still lying on the tiled floor, held down by the gravity magic. Gaster smirked and kicked him sharply in the rib cage. Blue winced as Slim yelped in pain, Stretch grimaced, and Razz snarled furiously.

“Leave him alone!” Blue yelled, and Gaster gave an amused chuckle.

 ~~ ** _“_**~~ nO ~~ ** _I DOn’T_**~~ THInk ~~ ** _I WIlL. I’vE dECIDeD TO C ONSuME HIM FIrST. _**~~aFTEr ~~ ** _I PLay_**~~ THaT ~~ ** _iS._**~~ DoGS LIkE ~~ _ **TO**_~~ PLaY ~~ _ **RIgHT SFP-**_~~ 7? THOuGH ** _ARen't yoU MORe o_ f A, ...a **PuPPy **? I Do _SO loVE PLayINg WItH_** PUpPIEs ** _, THeY_** gO **FUrTheR ThAn** DOgs dO wHEn YOu ** _KI_ Ck THeM**.” Gaster said with a distorted chuckle kicking Slim harder still. Slim cried out and there was a sharp _snap_ that rang out around the room. Gaster must have broken one of Slim’s ribs, Blue realized with horror. Gaster chuckled kicking Slim a third time drawing out a scream that drowned out sickening crunch.

Blue gritted his teeth and Stretch shuddered, neither of them could help Slim. Both trapped from the gravity magic, forced to look on. Blue glanced at Razz who was just as helpless as he and his brother. Razz had gone rigid, eyelights shifting from an icy blue to a blood red.

Blue tried so hard to fight past the blue hold on his soul, but it was so strong, so suffocating. But he had to do something, anything to help Slim. Slim only had one HP. He couldn’t take this kind of abuse!

“ _Stop_.” Razz growled, voice dripping with venom.

“Yo-you’re going to kill him!” Blue added, soul sinking.

“NO **, i’M** gOInG **TO** KiLL ALl **oF** YoU **.** ” Gaster corrected waving his hand dismissively, looking amused and giving Slim a fourth sharp kick, another crack sounding and Slim screamed before coughing up dust. His golden eyelights hazy from the pain, turtleneck staining red where his broken ribs jutted out through the material.

“ _I said_ **_stop_**.” Razz’s voice sliced through the tension like a heated knife. Ten blood red bones surged from the tiled floor embedding into Gaster with dull wet thwacks. Gaster’s sockets slowly blinked one at a time and Blue all but gagged. The bones had impaled through Gaster’s middle, his arms, his _face._

Dust and black ooze dribbled from the pierced wounds, Gaster sighed as if inconvenienced by the attacks lodged in his body. He gave Razz a withering look, which was impressive, considering his skull was concaving and there was a sharpened bone through one of his drooping sockets.

Blue stared at Razz in shock. How did Razz do that!? Had Razz fought through Gaster’s blue hold? He must have. Razz’s soul was no longer glowing blue from within his rib cage. Blue hadn’t been able to but thank Toriel Razz had, he was more than a little impressed by his alternate.

Razz summoned a few more sharpened bones that he used to cut himself loose from the restraints and he stepped down from the table, rage and killing intent pulsing off of Razz like rays from the sun, so intense it hurt.

“That’s not your dog. _He’s mine_.” Razz snarled furiously. “You’re not allowed to hurt him. Only _I_ hurt him.” Razz stalked towards the monster he had impaled who sighed as if frustrated. Gaster’s unusually wide mouth twitched, the monster began melting around the bones that had impaled him, globs of black goo splattering against the tiled floor. A trick they had seen before.

“Still can’t move.” Stretch said with a quiet curse. Same for Blue, the other’s gravity spell was overwhelming.

Razz scoffed. “Like I need either of you to help. Be good _dogs_ and _stay_.” Razz’s blood red eyelights glittered and a blaster sounded it’s way into existence above Razz. The jaws of the blaster opened and a red blast of magic slammed into the mass of bubbling black goo on the floor that was Gaster.

The goo splattered, covering the walls, the floor, and the four skeletons. Like when Gaster had first attacked Blue, the pieces of Gaster began inching and wriggling off of them and the walls, and along the floor to slowly reform the disgusting monster, causing Razz to snarl furiously. But the blaster had done the trick. Blue felt the gravity spell leave him and he immediately summoned his own bone constructs to cut himself loose from the restraints.

Blue sat up quickly and groaned feeling dizzy, his skull swimming. His body still ached terribly, but he couldn’t afford to rest right now. He jumped down from the medical table staggering for a moment, he spotted a wriggling tendril of black oily substance in front of him which he _stomped_ furiously. Blue ran a check on it. How was Gaster able to survive so much _damage?_

 ** _W-I-N-G-d_** -i-n-g-s **_G-G-G aster?!?--01010_101 01101 _110 01100100 01100101 01110010 01110100 01100001 01101100 01100101 001_ _00000 0101_** _010 **1 0110 1110 **01100100 01100101 01110010 01110011 01110111 01100001 01110000 00100000 01010011 011101 **11 01100001 01110000 01100110 01100101 011011** 00 011 **01 100.**_

**_LV 99999/8_ **

**_ATK 99999/350_ **

**_HP_ ** **_∞_ **

**_DEF_ ** **_∞_ **

**_*_ ** **You feel your soul pounding in your ribcage.**

***Nothingness grips your soul, dark, darker, yet darker thoughts race through your mind...**

***TeLliNg YoU To _E N D  I T_.**

Blue shuddered, his soul pulsing wildly in pure fear. He had never felt anything so cold, _so dark_.

“H-his stats are so high! I've never seen anything like it!” Blue said as Stretch who had made his way over to Blue.

“Sans!” Stretch nearly cried hugging Blue so tightly. Blue blinked in surprise as he was pulled against his brother’s orange hoodie.

“I-I’m okay, Papy.” Blue said softly looking up at his brother. As much as he wanted to take in his brother’s comfort, they were all still in danger.

“No you’re-” whatever Stretch was going to say was drowned out by a snarl as Razz blasted puddles of black goo with his blaster. Stretch sighed and let Blue go giving him a worried look. Blue gave his brother an assuring smile before he turned to help Razz,  attacking the wriggling goo all around them with bone constructs. Stretch sighed and made his way to the pile of bones on the floor that was Slim kneeling next to him and wincing.

Slim groaned from his spot on the floor curled slightly, arms around his broken ribs. Blue glanced at him with worry as Stretch whispered something quietly to his double. Razz’s eyelights landed on his injured brother silently for a moment before his eyelights misted the same blood red as his current eye color.

“Why can’t I kill him!?” Razz growled, voice dripping with acid as he summoned bone construct after bone construct, slicing the black goo that was Doctor Gaster as it tried to reassemble into the royal scientist.

“He has infinite HP. I- I don’t think he can be killed, Razz!” Blue said kicking at goo as he made his way to kneel down next to Slim, by his brother’s side. “Slim…? Are you okay?”

“...’m fine…” Slim said softly glancing at Blue and Stretch with dull eyelights. Blue did a quick check as Razz continued to beat the now very liquidy goo that was Gaster with his bone attacks.

  ***PAPYRUS**

**LV 9, 1 ATK, 1 DEF, HP 0.3 / 1**

**_* The easiest enemy, can only deal 1 damage._ **

***Is seriously hurt. You are very worried about him.**

Blue sucked in a worried breath. “Papy, he needs to be healed, right away!”

Stretch winced. Neither he nor Blue had any healing magic. “Muffy can heal him…” Stretch said after a moment of thought.

“ ‘M not leavin’...without M’lord.” Slim wheezed.

“Razz!” Stretch snapped. “You can’t kill him! Get over here. We need to get out of here! You’re brother needs help!”

Razz snarled furiously, stomping his foot against a puddle of black goo before begrudgingly making his way over to the other three.

***

Razz

He was beyond pissed off at the situation in general. He was captain of the star damned Queen’s Guard, he didn’t run away mid battle, he didn’t run away from anything or _anyone._ But Gaster wasn’t dusting no matter how hard he hit him, stabbed him or sliced him. It didn't seem to matter what Razz did, not even he could keep this up forever.

Using the blaster had drained him, and he hadn’t really known what he was doing with it in the first place, mostly acting on instinct. He didn't know where he had gotten it or how long he had had it for. His magic was low, his soul faltering. It had taken all the determination within him to fight through Gaster’s blue hold and he was exhausted, he had over done it, and his brother was hurt. But he _refused_ to run.

“ ** _I DoNT HAvE  TIme fOR THIs! I HA ~~vE a~~ VERy TIGhT scHED ~~ULe you know! AND I A~~ M going to be LaTe FOr mY D_** _AtE_ _NEvERMInD THaT_ _I N_ ** _EEd tO DEaL WItH THe OTheR FoUR foR DeSErT!” _**Gaster’s disembodied voice screeched.

Razz snarled as all the black tendrils and globs fled from him, a grey door appearing, opening, showing off an empty dark nothingness that the pieces of Gaster gladly jumped into.

Razz scowled as the door slammed shut before giving Blue a disgruntled look and glancing at his brother with a frown. The Mutt’s HP was _far_ too low. Razz turned to glare at Stretch.

“Well? What are you waiting for? Get us the fuck out of here Ashtray!” Razz huffed at Stretch with a low growl.

Stretch muttered something under his breath, gripping Razz’s arm and Blue’s, while Blue gently grasped Slim’s and with a soft _crack_ they were thrown into the void.

Razz hated Slim’s shortcuts, but he hated Stretch’s even more. Stretch’s seemed choppy and cold, they were in the void _too long._ He felt like the void was staring at him, probing him, _judging him-_ and they were suddenly in Muffet’s disgusting cafe.

Muffet screamed as the four skeletons dropped onto one of her empty booths, Slim groaning and Razz cursing Stretch out furiously.

“The fuck Ashtray!? Can’t you aim your shortcuts?” Razz snarled, about to raise his hand to the other as his brother collapsed on the table. Blue cried out in alarm and Stretch caught him before he slipped onto the floor. Razz stayed his hand for now, his brother needed medical attention. He could always beat Ashtray later, after he was done with Mutt.

Muffet quickly ran over yelling at the other customers to get out over her shoulder as she held several arms over Slim, green healing magic illuminating the area. If memory served Muffet had healed Slim when they first arrived in this candy ass universe though Razz had never met her until now. He crossed his arms looking on, watching closely.

“Can't you heal him faster? What good are those extra arms for if you heal this damn slow!?” Razz growled eyelights flashing.

Muffet scowled at Razz, her face changing from annoyance to uncertainty. Perhaps she didn’t expect to see how very much alike Blue and Razz looked. Or maybe it was the pure look of rage and desire for agony in Razz’s expression that caught her off guard. Not that it mattered, she was still being slow. The other two tried to give her a look, they didn't want Razz flying off the handle again.

Muffet huffed but seemed to catch Blue and Stretch’s looks, because she said, quietly, “I’m doing the best I can. He’s stabilized, for now. We need to get him somewhere more secure.”

“Where?” Stretch frowned.

“My bed would do.” Muffet said and Stretch choked, before squinting at the arachnid.

“Oh yeah, that’s where you had him last time.” Blue said with a nod.

“Fine. But do it quickly.” Razz snapped at her, assuming this woman had another speed besides slow.

Muffet huffed again. “Papyrus, could you?” Muffet said looking at Stretch. Suddenly in a blink of an eye Stretch, Muffet, and Slim disappeared with a quiet pop as Stretch teleported them to her bedroom. Razz snarled furiously. How _dare_ they leave without him!?

“This way, Razz.” Blue said quickly leading Razz behind the counter, up a narrow staircase, and into the arachnid’s bedroom. His brother was already laying on her bed, his bloodied turtleneck removed as Muffet had returned to slowly healing his brother while Stretch paced by the foot of the bed.

“How much have you healed?” Razz demanded shoving Stretch out of his way and standing at the end of the bed looking down at his brother.

“Two ribs, two to go.” Muffet said and Razz snarled.

“He has _one_ HP what is taking so damn long!?” Razz demanded. He was no healer, but the less HP the quicker someone should heal, right? Less had to be done!

“Will you just-” Muffet said but was cut off as Blue covered her mouth. Muffet’s five eyes shrank in undignified shock and she growled before biting Blue’s hand. Blue yelped, pulling his hand back, scowling at the arachnid.

Razz stepped forward grabbing her chin, making the bar maiden look at him. “I don’t know what you were going to say, and frankly, I don’t care. You fix my brother _now_ or I'm going to remove all of your arms one by one and feed them to your precious pet. Your eyes will be next.”

Muffet’s five eyes widened in fear and Blue sighed heavily into his palms while Stretch grumbled underneath his breath. Muffet went back to work, quickly. About damn time.

“There…” Muffet said a moment later looking exhausted. Slim’s ribs had realigned, though the skeleton still seemed to be unconscious.

“Good, now get out. _All_ of you, Mutt and I need to have a little chat.” Razz growled at them, sockets narrowed.

Muffet was quick to comply, while Blue frowned and Stretch squinted at Razz. Blue stood up heading to the door looking slightly hesitant before he motioned for his brother to follow.

“And close the door. I'll impale anyone trying to come in before I say so!”

Stretch glared at Razz looking very reluctant as he made his way over to Blue before the two left, Blue closing the door. Razz scowled after them before pacing along the length of the bed, never looking away from his brother.

 “What the hell were you _thinking_ you stupid mutt!” He hissed at Slim through his teeth, stupid dog.

 ***

Slim

 If he lay _really_ still, and kept his breathing slow, maybe, _just maybe_ , his brother would grow impatient and leave or let the others back in? He had come to about a second before Razz had ordered everyone out saying they needed to have a little chat.

 Their little chats were usually bad for Slim’s health. Slim kept his breathing even, as his brother paced. He’d just been trying to save Blue and Razz. Surely Razz was going to be after Blue and Slim had to do something! Razz stopped pacing, he stood over him looking down at Slim.

 “You're not _allowed_ to leave me alone you stupid mutt, I didn't say you could do that.” Razz spoke quietly, unaware Slim was awake and not wanting to be overheard.

 “Don't you _ever_ dare do something like this again. I can't replace you, even if you are useless and lazy.”

 Slim’s soul twisted at that. Sure Razz’s words were harsh, but he could hear the emotion behind them, and what was left unsaid. He had really scared his brother, hadn’t he? Slim slowly opened his eyes pretending to have just woken up knowing his facial expression was bound to crack and give him away and he shifted groaning softly. His ribs ached terribly, Muffet was a shit healer. He looked at Razz who scowled at him quickly swiping at his sockets.

 “About fucking time! How long are you going to lay about?!” Razz demanded.

 Slim’s soul sank further. His brother had been _crying._ Over him. Over almost losing him. He didn’t deserve to be cared about like that, not by Razz, not after what he let happen. He put his brother through so much.

 “ ‘Till my ribs stop hurting?” Slim answered with a hesitant smile. Stars he just wanted to pull Razz in his arms and tell him it would be okay. Just like he did whenever Razz cried when he was a kid. But Razz might literally murder him for trying something like that now.

 “ _Fine._ But don't get used to it! You and that Ashtray are going to work on finishing that machine!”

 Slim couldn’t help but be amused. If his brother was letting him lay in bed, broken ribs or not, Razz must have really been worried. But instead of admitting he was worried he was scolding him. Slim tried not to laugh so he schooled his face  into a lazy expression instead.

 “Yes M’lord.” Slim said easily, digging through his pockets for a smoke.

 “Not while you're in someone else's bed! That's uncalled for!” Razz growled.

 Slim all but whined slowly putting the cigarette back. He’d smoked last time he was in Muffy’s bed, though Blue had scolded him too. Ah well, he’d try again later. Or he planned to, but Razz swiped the entire pack.

 “Hey!”

 “I'm going to dispose of these, best not tempt fate right?” Razz grumbled before stalking out of the room, slamming the door and yelling at one of the others that they could go in now.

 Tempt fate? What, did Razz think Slim was going to accidentally set himself on fire? That only happened _once_ and he had been very drunk. Slim groaned trying to sit up and hissed in pain, his ribs protesting. He wanted to tell his brother he was sorry, sorry for egging Gaster on, for getting himself hurt. He always seemed to mess up, and he always seemed to be apologizing for it. Maybe it was better if he didn’t say sorry? Razz didn’t seem mad, just worried and trying to hide it; badly. Slim smiled some.

 A moment later Blue and Stretch both peeked in. “See? I told you he was fine Papy! Why would Razz be so anxious for Muffet to heal him just to beat him up? You make no sense.” Blue huffed at his brother before giving Slim a smile walking in. Stretch grumbled walking in behind him.

 “How are you feeling?” Blue asked looking worried.

 “Like some asshole kicked my ribs in.” Slim drawled.

 “Sounds about right.” Stretch said shaking his head.

 “Hey, Stretch, got a smoke?”

 “Slim no! You should be resting and smoking is so unhealthy for you! _Both_ of you!” Blue would gasp and scold the two Papyri.

 Stretch sighed ducking into his hoodie some and Slim groaned. He couldn't do the same. He felt so _naked_ without his turtleneck and jacket both had been stripped from him during the healing process it seemed. Slim's eyelights scanned the room for his precious articles of clothing.

 Said clothes would suddenly be covering his face, followed by this.

 “Stop leaving your shit all over the place, I have better things to do than clean up after you, Mutt.” Razz scoffed leaving the room again. Slim wrestled the clothes off his head just in time to see his brother's retreating back, he looked down at the articles of clothing. They were dirty from his dust and marrow, along with a few black stains from Gaster. He frowned at the splotchy area tugging at it, the hole was fixed?

 He held them tightly in his hands, his ribs had ripped it and he knew it. Muffet didn't fix it, there was a distinct lack of spider thread here. His hands trembled slightly, the other two looked on in concern.

 “You okay Slim?” Blue asked coming closer.

 “Y-yeah...I’m fine…” Slim said softly voice cracking and sockets stinging. With trembling hands Slim quickly slipped his turtleneck and leather jacket on ignoring the jutting pain from his ribs as he did so.

 “Wait, wasn't your turtleneck ripped?” Stretch frowned leaning over to get a closer look.

 “It was!” Blue agreed looking way too excited.

 Slim mumbled, hiding in his hood, golden eyelights watching them warily as he slowly seemed to become one with jacket and turtleneck.

 “He fixed it, didn't he Slim?” Blue pressed his grin growing, eyelights stars. Blue _knew_ Razz cared!

 Slim gave the barest of nods and if possible the stars in Blue's eyelights expanded taking up his entire sockets.

 “Wait, what? Really?” Stretch gave Slim a perplexed look. “You sure?”

 “I-it's not spider silk…” Slim murmured even quieter, it clearly hadn't been them or Muffet. That only left one monster who could have done it.

“I told you Papy! He _does_ care!” Blue despite what happened earlier was bouncing on the balls of his feet. Slim squeezed the turtleneck tightly, closing his eye sockets. He really did care, didn’t he? Slim dared to smile at the thought, even if he didn't deserve to be cared about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Razz ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNgSe8ww1cU) doesn't care, nope, not a lick. #sarcasm.
> 
> Zion: Is this enough SF angst/fluff? Is this okay?
> 
> Chaos: Too fluffy. Set them on fire. >:D
> 
> Zion: *grabs matches and can of gasoline* Arson?


	17. Sweeter Than Expected

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where Razz has had just about enough of this candy ass universe.
> 
> AKA
> 
> The one where Blue might have made a mistake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chaos: I just wanted to thank everyone who has read, kudo'd, commented, and bookmarked. I was honestly surprised this fic caught any interest at all, so thanks everyone, so much! It's been an awesome journey!
> 
> Giant thanks to Zion, I'd still probably be on chapter 15 without them!

***

Slim

“What about you, are you okay?” Slim asked Blue softly, changing the subject. It had been terrible watching Blue get his blasters applied. He hadn’t remembered his or Razz’s blaster application being like that. It hadn’t hurt them, but it seemed to have hurt Blue terribly.  

“I’m okay j-just… it was a lot to take in.” Blue said quietly, but it didn't do much to deflate his excitement.

Stretch glanced at Blue with concern but Blue was already back to bouncing on his feet.

“Well that was unusually nice for the tiny terror.” Stretch mused and he shrugged.

“Speaking of he wants us to go home as soon as possible.”

“But I just made it to Muffy’s bed, you expect me to leave it?” Slim said with a wink and Stretch narrowed his sockets at him.

“Yes. And I want to get your brother out of here ASAP.” Stretch grumbled crossing his arms.

Slim groaned at that, he didn't like that idea. Personally he had no interest in going home, even if this nicer version of home was a little nauseating at times. Truth was, he _liked_ it. Besides if they went home they'd be leaving Blue and Stretch at Gaster’s mercy, that wasn't right.

On the plus side the strange goopy version of Gaster ate their human, so they'd be having no more resets.

“How's the patient?” Muffet asked stepping in.

“Not good, Doc. I need mouth to mouth resuscitation.” Slim said sounding entirely serious. Blue was doing his best to keep a straight face, scooting back so Stretch couldn't see him grinning.

Stretch scoffed looking personally offended and Muffet giggled.

“Ahuhuhu~ I think it's a little to late for that dearie, we’ll have to try electric shock.”

Blue covered his mouth to stifle a giggle. Slim was having second thoughts about flirting with this Muffet, maybe he ought to stick to his own.

Stretch snickered at the look that crossed over Slim’s face. It seemed like Muffet could take care of herself.

The door slammed open and Razz stepped in, giving them all a heated look. “Get up Mutt! I want you and Ashtray to fix the machine! You've laid around long enough!”

Stretch scowled at Razz and he crossed his arms. “I don’t know, how many tallies does he have Blue? That’s how many hours I don’t have to help, right?”

“I'm going back to dump all of your honey into the toilet.” Razz informed Stretch before turning on his heel and leaving to do just that.

“What!? No!” Stretch said jumping to his feet from the chair he had been sitting in. “Stars on fire Slim, stop laying around and help me with the machine!”

Slim groaned. “Right...right now?” Slim asked with a frown, his ribs still _really_ hurt!

“Yes!” Stretch exclaimed.

“I don’t know Papy, I’m not usually one to promote laziness, but maybe Slim should rest for a little while? He was really hurt! You could work on it by yourself?” Blue suggested taking pity on the still healing monster.

“But I don't even know where Slim stopped!”

“I’m sure you’ll figure it out. Should we move Slim to my bed?” Blue suggested before Stretch ran off. It’d be much easier to take Slim home with Stretch’s shortcut.

“But my honey! He could be there already dumping it! I have to go! Slim can teleport!” Stretch huffed disappearing with a soft pop.

“I'm sorry Slim, Papy gets weird about honey.” Blue apologized.

“ ‘S okay. I understand.” Slim told him, he’d act the same about his BBQ sauce afterall. “Think I’ll just stay here.”

“I'll stay with you, I _think_ the house will survive.” Blue told him sitting on the now vacant chair beside the bed.

“I have to get back to work dearies, but rest up. I don’t care what that rude little heathen says.” Muffet grumbled and Slim’s sockets narrowed at her, was she talking about Razz?

“Thank you Muffet! When Slim feels better we'll go home again.” Blue beamed brightly at her.

“Take all the time you need.” Muffet said with a smile before disappearing down the stairs. Slim watched her go warily, before glancing back at Blue.

“Are you okay though?” Slim asked Blue quietly. His blaster hadn’t hurt at all and Blue had screamed like he was slowly being murdered. He was starting to think that maybe they were from different universes _afterall._ Stretch had a lot of fear about his Gaster, that Slim didn’t for his own.

***

Blue

“Well…” Blue rubbed at the welts left on his otherwise pristine ulna and radius, they still hurt a lot. He didn't feel okay, but he didn't really want to talk about what he'd been remembering. He knew Papy’s worst fear was Blue remembering not only the resets, but their horrible childhood with their own version of Dr. Gaster, and Blue now remembered _both._

“I mean, it still hurts a lot. And it was really scary.” Blue admitted looking down at his gloved hands that he lay in his lap, clenching and unclenching his fists. They'd all been so powerless and Razz hadn't even been able to hurt Gaster. He shuddered as he thought about the monstrosity that intended to devour them.

“Yeah, it looked really painful...and it was really scary.” Slim agreed softly. “I really don’t like the fact that he wants to _eat_ us, either. I’m not sure what world or universe he’s from but it seems like he’s neither of our Gaster.”

“I don't really know anything about that, but what if he comes back? What if he…” Blue began to tremble, he couldn't do anything last time. He wished he were stronger, like Razz. Razz had broken free of Gaster’s blue hold, while Blue had laid there uselessly.

Slim hesitated for a moment before reaching out and pulling his friend into his arms embracing him gently, likely ignoring his protesting ribs.

“He seems really unstable. As long as we blow him up with a blaster we should be fine. He tends to run away at that point. Honestly. . . we should stick together, the four of us.”

“But, Razz wants to go home. Don't you Slim?” Blue asked leaning into the embrace with a quiet sigh, he needed to do better.

“Not really…” Slim admitted quietly. “You know it’s not very nice there. I like it here, even if it is louder and more people.”

“You mean “candy ass?” ” Blue asked raising a bone brow. Slim snorted and grinned.

“Yeah, it is pretty candy ass.” Slim agreed. “But I kinda like it.”

“But what about your brother?”

Slim sighed. “Well I’m not going to let him run off alone. I was hoping to try and convince him to stay here. I thought about suggesting that Gaster might get you or your bro without us, but I’m afraid he might just take you to our universe. Which would be even worse.”

“I think he would be sad without you.” Blue told him softly.

Slim blinked looking surprised. “Really?” Slim asked softly. “W-well, he doesn’t have to worry. I’m not going to leave him. I go where he goes. I’d just rather it be here.”

Blue smiled at Slim, Razz tried so hard to make it seem like he didn't care. But today, they'd caught a glimpse of his true colors. And Blue fully intended to draw those out before they left, even if Razz screeched at him.

“I don’t think he’d leave you guys knowing Gaster’s still out there.” Slim said sounding thoughtful. Now it was Blue's turn to be surprised, he had thought that Razz hated them. Slim was his brother, an entirely different story than him and Papy, surely Razz would only care about saving him?

“Y-you think so?”

“Yeah. He couldn’t just leave you guys like that. Not when he knows you could be in danger and after all we’ve been through. He cares about you two, even if he won’t admit it.” Slim said sounding certain. Blue smiled a little at this, Slim could be right. Razz wasn't that bad after all, and he had his reasons for behaving the way he did.

***

Stretch

Slim had done a surprising amount of work earlier today while completely drunk off his ass. Hard to believe it was the same day. Stretch wiped honey onto his shorts as he twisted the wrench, looking over the honey slathered blueprints. Razz made a disgusted noise from the door leaning against it, his arms crossed.

“How the hell is there this much honey on everything when I confiscated all of it!?” Razz demanded. As if answering a large dollop of honey dripped onto the floor from seemingly nowhere, Stretch squinted looking at the ceiling, but it was clean and he shrugged.

“You’re disgusting.” Razz huffed.

Stretch ignored him, he was pissed off about his honey. He looked over the machine and blueprints again to be sure, he barely had any work to do. And then Razz and his attitude could fuck off forever. He might miss Slim, Razz probably wouldn't let him visit though. What an asshole.

“How long?” Razz demanded after a few moments of silence.

“Everytime you speak I lose my will to do anything, so, depends on how much talking you're going to do. Up to you.” Stretch grumbled grabbing a honey coated wrench.

“Fine. I’m going to see what is taking that mutt so long to get out of bed!” Razz huffed making a face at Stretch’s disgusting tools. “Then he can take over since you’re so damn slow and incompetent.”

“Make sure to let the door hit you on the way out.” Stretch scoffed at Razz, beyond done with today.

Razz scoffed, ‘accidentally’ dropping one of the dozens of glass bear shaped honey bottles he’d found throughout the house watching it shatter on the floor. “Oops. At least you’re shithole of a lab was already disgusting~”

Stretch sighed loudly but shortly afterward a glob landed on Razz's skull, and into his socket. Falling seemingly out of nowhere. Razz shrieked looking appalled and cursed before swearing to murder Stretch, Blue, Muffet, the entire underground and Stretch’s mother before stomping up the stairs to clean himself off. Stretch howled with laughter as the short captain stormed off, gotta love karma.

“You do that Razzledazzle.” Stretch snickered turning back to the machine now in a much better mood.

He really hoped Slim and Blue were okay. Both had suffered a lot today, and he felt that being by their side was a much better use of his time than this. Then again the faster he worked the sooner Razz would be gone, hopefully forever.

Stretch needed to tell Slim how impressive it was he had done so much in one day while intoxicated like he had been. He scratched at his skull and began to work, losing track of time as he fell into his element.

***

Stretch wiped sweat- or was it honey- from his brow, giving a low whistle. That should just about do it. He couldn’t believe he and Slim had finished fixing this hunk of junk in less than 24 hours when Stretch had spent years trying to fix the damn thing! Slim was either really good at this or really smart, or both.

Stretch gave a thoughtful hum, they should probably test it on something living and not them just to make sure it worked. Temmie sounded like a good candidate. Or annoying cat. Or hell, even Razz would do. On a scale of 1-10 how upset would Slim be if Stretch accidentally vaporized his brother?

Stretch settled on annoying cat. He’d never hear the end of it from Blue and Slim if he used Razz and Temmie the Tem would be too much of a pain in the tailbone to hunt down, so all that was left was Annoying Cat. When he came into the living room to look for the vile beast, he noticed Razz cleaning their already clean kitchen.

“Blue and Slim still gone?” Stretch asked raising a brow bone walking forward. Razz huffed, his cheekbones puffing slightly.

“I’m not your brother’s keeper, how should I know?” Razz snapped. “Why are you up here? Why aren’t you working on the machine?”

“Why are you cleaning?”

“Shut up!” Razz grumbled pushing something out of sight behind the nearest canister.

“What smells good?” Stretch asked curiously. Had Razz been cooking? There were some half done dishes in the sink that suggested he had been.

“Nothing, your house smells like honey. It's disgusting.” Razz snapped at him.

“You mean delicious.” Stretch said crossing his arms. “And it’s not honey. It smells different.”

“I don’t know how you can smell anything but bee vomit.” Razz huffed. “You realize that’s what honey is, don’t you?”

“I know, but it's delicious.” Stretch scoffed going into the kitchen, there was something and he just knew it.

“You’re nasty-hey! Get out of here!” Razz huffed, stepping in front of Stretch, hands on his hips.

“Uh no, this is my house. And my kitchen, Razz.” Stretch just teleported around him.

“Aha! Found it!” Stretch picked up a plate of- multi colored macarons? “You made _these?”_

Razz flushed, crossing his arms, cheekbones dusting lavender. “So what if I did?”

“Why? Aren't they a lot of work?” Stretch picked one up to inspect it. The different colors seemed to suggest different flavors, and the orange one in his hand smelled like pumpkin.

“Those aren’t for you!” Razz huffed smacking Stretch’s hand with a wooden spoon. Stretch yelped, dropping the cookie back onto the plate and he gave the spoon and it's wielder the evil eye. He snatched another and popped out of existence with it.

Razz screeches furiously as Stretch reappeared in the living room taking a big bite out of a purple and brown macaron. It was surprisingly sweet from being made by someone so sour, and it was _good._ It tasted like chocolate caramel. He popped the rest in his mouth with a pleased noise, vowing not to tell Razz how much he liked it.

“It's okay. Bee vomit is better.” Stretch told him wiping his mouth on the sleeve of his hoodie.

“Excuse you!” Razz snarled eyelights flashing furiously. “My baking is exquisite and it tastes fucking delicious! Get the fuck back down to the basement and fix that damn machine before I neuter you with my spoon.”

“Already done.” Stretch shrugged. Razz’s socket twitched, and he looked furious, which took Stretch off guard. Shouldn’t Razz be happy the machine was fixed?

“IF IT WAS THAT EASY WHY HAVE I BEEN STUCK HERE FOR WEEKS, YOU ASSHOLE?” Razz snarled shaking his spoon at Stretch.

“Slim did most of the work, while he was drunk this morning! I just finished it.” Stretch rolled his eyelights, such a drama queen.

Razz sighed heavily into his palms. “I see. Well. I’m going to have a _chat_ with the mutt about why he’s taken this fucking long to fix it if all he needed was a few damn hours.” Razz grumbled, picking up the plate of macarons. “Your precious bee vomit is in Blue’s room. But one of them is actually honey colored clear glue. I thought it’d be like russian roulette~ Have fun.” Razz said with a smirk before leaving with the carefully prepared cookies.

***

Razz

They were _all_ glue, Stretch’s real honey was in Stretch’s filthy room. Razz had had a lot of time even while cooking. Razz glanced down at the multi colored and flavored treats. The Mutt had better appreciate too. He left the Ashtray to figure out his honey and went back to Muffet's with his plate, scowling as they met at the door leading to her apartment.

“What?” He demanded.

Muffet gave him a curious look, looking at the macarons. She picked a red velvet one up with her many arms and took a big bite. Razz snarled. He knew they smelled great and they tasted _fantastic,_ but couldn’t these people show a little restraint!?

“Hey! That wasn't for you!” Razz huffed holding the plate away to protect the remaining treats.

"My, my dearie, did you make these?” Muffet asked curiously. “Ahuhuhu~ They’re absolutely scrumptious.”

“So what if I did?” Razz grumbled pushing past her, cheekbones turning lavender again.

“Would you be willing to sell the recipe?~” Muffet called after him.

“No! Blueberry! Get the fuck out!” Razz spat as he opened Muffet's bedroom door, hiding the cookies as best he could.

Blue blinked looking taken aback but nodded giving Slim a smile before heading to the door.

“Ooh? What are these?” Blue quickly swiped one of the treats on Razz’s plate despite Razz trying to keep it from his grasp. Blue took a bite his eyelights turning to stars. “Wowie! These are amaz-”

Razz snarled and shoved Blue out slamming the door in his face. His skull just about glowing purple, he grumbled approaching the bed where Slim watched him.

“Here.” Razz scoffed dropping the plate with care onto Slim’s sternum.

Slim who had been looking amused now looked completely bewildered. “F-for me?” Slim asked quietly.

“Just shut up and eat them, you need to finish healing so we can leave. Muffet's garbage isn't going to help.” Razz huffed sitting down as he crossed his arms and lay one leg over the other.

Slim smiled looking down at the treats. It was his favorite baked good, Razz was certain, and very difficult to make. Razz used to bake them for special occasions for Slim, usually his birthday or Gyftmas, before the underground massacres of course. It seemed he hadn't lost his touch though.

Slim quickly took a bite and all but moaned into the cookie.

“Thank you, M’lord.” Slim said in between bites.

“Ashtray finished the machine, we're going home after you've healed.” Razz informed his brother, looking away when Slim thanked him.

Slim frowned at that. “We are…? What about Blue and Stretch? Gaster’s still out there-”

“I don't care, we're going home. He can have them.” Razz huffed, but Gaster couldn't have his dog. He wouldn't allow it, Slim was _his._ “Are you going to disobey?”

Slim involuntarily shuddered. “N-no M’lord.” Slim said quickly, taking another bite of a cookie, likely so he didn’t have to meet Razz’s eyelights quite yet. “B-but, M’lord, Blue and Stretch are our friends…”

“No, they’re _your_ friends. I don’t care about either of them.” Razz scoffed, he didn't _have_ friends and he didn't care about that ridiculous Blueberry or Cancer Stick. His soul slightly twisted and he scowled ignoring it. _He didn't care!_

Slim mumbled something too softly for Razz to hear, before eating yet another cookie.

"Speak up.” Razz snapped.

“I-I said, you don’t mean that.” Slim mumbled nearly just as quietly as the first time he’d said it.

“Oh really? And why don't I?” Razz demanded narrowing his sockets.

Slim hunched his shoulders some, stuffing another cookie in his mouth, chewing slowly before answering. “Because if you didn’t care about them you wouldn’t have gone to Undyne’s to get the syringe to help them with their human problem. That’s how Gaster got you in the first place.”

“I just like killing humans, Mutt.” Razz scoffed. Even if technically Slim had been the one to kill the only human he had ever met.

Slim glanced up at him looking as if he was torn about saying something. Instead he ate another cookie.

“...Are you going to eat _all_ of them?” Razz demanded.

“T-that was my plan. Aren’t they for me?” Slim said innocently.

“Well, yes.”

“Then yes.”

Razz sighed and rolled his eyelights, a glutton as always. “Fine, but afterwards we're leaving.”

Slim made a face at that, and seemed to eat at a slightly slower pace. Not that you would know if you didn’t know Razz’s mutt because he ate like a star damned wild animal.

“Keep stalling and I'll take them back.” Razz threatened, he wouldn't, but Slim didn't need to know that. These would heal his brother completely, better quality food healed better after all.

Slim whined and sped up, and before long the entire plate was empty, and Slim began to lick the crumbs, like a _dog_ causing Razz to sigh loudly.

“Get up, it's time to go home.”

***

Slim

Slim really hadn’t expected the macarons. He knew they were difficult to make, and happened to be his favorite, he doubted that was a coincidence. It had been so very long since his brother had baked anything for him, he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t happy, even if they had to go back home. And Slim _really_ didn’t want to go home.

They couldn’t just abandon Stretch and Blue to Gaster, though. Gaster surely would come back. He had to talk some sense into Razz, but how?

As they stepped into the house they heard Stretch shriek throwing annoying cat half way across the room causing Slim to step behind Razz glaring daggers at the evil beast. He _hated_ cats.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Razz demanded of him.

“Razz, language.” Blue sighed stepping in around Razz and Slim. “Papy?”

“I tested the machine on Annoying Cat, it works.” Stretch grumbled sucking on his knuckle which bore a scratch.

“If it worked how is Annoying Cat still here?” Razz demanded.

“Because it _came back._ It’s Satan, wait no, that's Razz. Satan jr.” Stretch said with a smirk. Razz scoffed crossing his arms.

“I take it you enjoyed your honey?” Razz said sweetly, smirking at him. Stretch scowled, before holding up his two middle fingers at his brother’s look alike.

“Papy! That’s rude!” Blue sighed.

“He’s rude!” Stretch grumbled.

“Your face is rude! Now shut up and let's go, I’m sick of this candy ass place.” Razz huffed.

Slim groaned. He had been planning to lay on the couch, not because he was still hurt, he was just tired. He also really didn’t want to go.

“Can't we leave tomorrow? It's been a really long day.” Slim asked hesitantly, avoiding eyelight contact. Razz gave him a withering look, Slim could tell, he felt it burning into him.

“No!” Razz said firmly and Slim sighed.

Blue frowned some, glancing between Slim and Razz. “You two are leaving _right now_?” Blue asked looking as if he had been punched in the gut.

“Good. Get the fuck out Razz. Slim you’re welcome to stay.” Stretch grumbled heading downstairs to the machine, he'd already set it up, using one of the many collars that seemed to follow Slim around the house as a path to their universe.

Razz huffed stomping down the stairs and Slim followed slowly, Blue behind him looking sad. Slim glanced at Blue and looked away. He really didn’t think Razz would just abandon them to Gaster, but, it turned out he had been wrong. Razz was doing just that. And Slim wasn’t going to not go with his brother, he was a loyal dog after all.

“M’lord…” Slim said softly, giving Razz a pleading look.

“Quit begging, it’s unbecoming.” Razz scoffed.

“But-”

"Don’t make me hit you with a rolled up newspaper. Stop your whining.” Razz threatened.

“Alright, you two step inside, I throw the switch, I never have to hear Razz’s banshee screech again.” Stretch explained gesturing towards the machine. It didn’t have a door, but it had a place to stance between curved walls. The back was flat, and it bore a circular metal conductor on the roof and floor.

Razz scoffed and scowled at Stretch. “Good riddance.” Razz huffed at both he and Blue before heading for the machine.

“Goodbye Razz, l’ll miss you!” Blue said attempting to give Razz a hug but his face was met with Razz’s palm as Razz pushed him back, gently.

“Don’t touch me.” Razz scoffed and Blue squeaked as he stumbled back, tripping and his tailbone hit the floor from the soft but unexpected push. Razz snorted in amusement.

Stretch flipped Razz off as a goodbye as he helped Blue up. Slim sighed looking at the machine with a frown.

“Get in here already, Mutt!” Razz growled. “This is your _last_ warning!” Slim glanced to his alternate and Blue.

“Guess this is goodbye...” Slim said with a frown. This was wrong, they couldn’t just abandon Blue and Stretch. When he got to his universe he’d fix his own machine, so he could travel back and forth between their universes, to make sure they stayed safe.

Blue’s eyelights stuttered some and he hugged Slim’s waist tightly with a quiet sniffle. Slim was so much taller than him that Blue’s skull hardly reached his middle.

Slim smiled some and gently hugged Blue back plucking a loose string from Blue's undershirt to pinpoint Blue's universe with for when he was home. Reluctantly the two pulled apart and Slim gave Stretch a nod. Stretch nodded back, a sad expression flashing across his face.

“Mutt, now!” Razz snarled. Slim quickly joined his brother, but he had to duck so he didn't crack his skull on the machine going in. He stood awkwardly next to Razz in the slightly cramped space.

Stretch sighed. “Later Slim, I hope I see you again... Fuck you, Razz I hope I don’t see you.” Stretch said reaching towards the switch. Razz squawked with indignation and Blue sniffled slightly wiping his leaking sockets before suddenly bolting towards the machine, hand reaching in and gripping Razz’s wrist right as Stretch flipped the switch, Stretch’s sockets going wide in realization.

“Hey! What do you think you’re doing!?” Razz demanded as the machine sparked with life.

“Sans! No!” Stretch quickly grabbed his brother trying to pull him away from the machine, having no idea what his interference would do. Electricity bolted around the four skeletons and Stretch cursed.

“Oh, fuck.” Darkness surrounded them the light of the room completely snuffing out as they were hurled through the void between universes.

And then there was light, though not very bright, and Slim realized they were high up, falling through the air that whistled past them ripping at their clothes.

“I’M GOING TO KILL YOU, BLUEBERRY!” Razz screeched as they plummeted towards the snowy ground. There were sounds of fighting, of war, below. It sounded like home, at least.

*******

**-R** eT **sA** G **.** _D_ **.** **_W_ ** **-**

**...**

**_W.D. GASTER_ **

 

When Gaster stepped out of the void, he sighed in frustration. He was _starving._ Dinner had been ruined, and he was late for dessert. And if he was late for dessert, he was going to be late for his date!

 

All his plans ruined by that horrible SFS-4. He _hated_ plans not coming together. It would only be polite for him to let his date know he was going to be late. Gaster looked around his eyelights adjusting to the din of this universe. It was one of his favorites, so much darker than the others, no artificial light clogging up the area burning his would be retinas.

 

“Loverboy~” Gaster cooed coming up behind his target.

 

“... _What?_ For the love of, why are you here? I told you to fuck off!”

  


“Now, now darling. There’ll be plenty of time for dirty talk during our date.” Gaster said and he sighed. “Which I must apologize for; I’ll be late.”

 

The smaller monster choked and scowled from under his hood which was pulled down to further cover his face. “I have a better idea, let's not and say we did or better yet, you go fall in a hole and I'm going to go home and sleep. _Without_ you keeping me up all night talking about your stupid quantum whatevers!”

 

“You love my quantum physics.” Gaster sniffed with a sigh. “I understand you’re cross that I’ll be late, but, it’s out of my hands. Dinner was ruined and I’m late for dessert, which means I’ll be late tonight. But don’t worry~ I would never cancel on you, no matter how late in the evening I end up arriving.”

 

“I hate you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp Blue you done messed up.
> 
> Both Stretch and Razz aren't being very honest about their feelings right now *shrugs*
> 
> At least [Razz and Slim](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuzDghzyVjk) are getting along? 
> 
> The End?
> 
> Nah! I mentioned in the [first chapter](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12588896/chapters/28672812) that this was a sister to my other work and that there would be a sequel! Which is why this doesn't feel very much like an ending, huh? 
> 
> So! You can either go and read what happens directly after this in the sequel: [Not As Planned](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15948857/chapters/37192790). or if you really want _a lot_ to read you can read [Saving Papyrus](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12355605/chapters/28104957) first. Saving Papyrus takes place at roughly the same time as Saving Sans, but you don’t have to read it at all, it's not needed to understand what is going on in Not As Planned, just be prepared for some new faces; the other four Gaster mentioned for dessert ;) 
> 
> Thanks everyone for reading and I hope you like the sequel.


End file.
